Will Redundancies threaten tomorrow’s skilled construction workers?

One thing is certain – construction needs skills and skills mean people

#constuctionindustry #skilledbuilders #employment #redundancies #architects #localauthorities

MMC Magazine Editor Joe Bradbury takes an in-depth look at the issue of redundancy and loss of skills throughout the industry post-Covid crisis. Who is at risk and what must be done? The answers remain elusive and unclear but one thing is certain – construction needs skills and skills mean people.

The scale of the problem

In recent weeks, the sheer scale of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has become apparent. Data from the ONS shows the UK’s economy shrank when the crisis hit and we are now feeling the result of this in myriad ways, such as widescale unemployment.

We may be winning the war on the virus, but even the promised holy grail of a vaccine won’t leave us worry-free. Analysis by the Greater London Authority (GLA) suggests unemployment is likely to rise further in the weeks and months to come, with almost 1.1 million workers in the capital alone working in sectors facing the greatest economic risk, such as tourism and hospitality.

Data published by HM Revenue and Customs and collated by the GLA found 1.07 million Londoners have been furloughed – around 12% of the UK total – with many from roles which could be made permanently redundant if the Government does not take further decisive action to protect the sectors most at risk.

In a recent speech, Mayor Sadiq Khan urged government to “target assistance in devastated sectors to prevent an historic rise in unemployment.

“Ministers were clearly too slow to act on the health consequences of Covid-19. We simply can’t afford for the Government to be too slow to act on the huge economic consequences as well.”

When will unemployment spike?

The Bank of England has also warned that UK unemployment will spike at 2.5m by the end of the year, as firms cut jobs due to the shock of Covid-19. In its latest forecasts, the Bank predicts the jobless rate will almost double to 7.5%, and only fall slowly in 2021.

The bank predicts a ‘material’ jump in unemployment, with more than one million jobs expected to be lost in the second half of this year.

They made this statement in the Guardian: “Employment appears to have fallen since the Covid-19 outbreak, although this has been very significantly mitigated by the extensive take-up of support from temporary government schemes.

“Surveys indicate that many workers have already returned to work from furlough, but considerable uncertainty remains about the prospects for employment after those support schemes unwind.”

The deep impact of lockdown restrictions eased slightly in May as some employees returned from furlough and self-employed workers increased their hours. But the true scale of Britain’s jobs crisis won’t be known until the Government’s Job Retention Scheme is phased out in the months ahead.

What this means for construction

In spite of the madness, the construction industry actually recorded its strongest monthly rise in activity for nearly five years as the sector continued to rebound from the lockdown. The sector, which makes up 6% of the economy, has a long recovery ahead after output fell by 40% in March and April. We have a long way to go before output returns to pre-Covid levels, and construction companies are still shedding jobs at one of the fastest rates since the global financial crisis.

This is a tough one, as when times are tough the first thing companies do is tighten their belt and look to make savings when it comes to staffing. However, this tactic is a snake eating its own tail and only serves to exacerbate issues going forward.

New research published by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) suggests that rather than trimming down, more construction apprenticeships are actually needed to turbocharge economic recovery and drive us out of this slump. The FMB’s report Trading Up looked at the barriers small to medium-sized (SME) employers face to delivering apprenticeships and upskilling.

Key findings revealed that:

  • 68% of builders are either currently training an apprentice or have done so in the past
  • 85% train and recruit 16 to 18-year olds
  • 40% of completed apprentices will stay working for the SME company who trained them for at least three years.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “Putting local builders at the heart of apprenticeship development and training will unlock additional high-quality opportunities for young people and help Britain get back on its feet. We need an army of builders to help deliver the new homes that this country desperately needs. They will also upgrade our existing homes to make them more energy efficient and fit for purpose in the years ahead.”

Preserving apprenticeships is obviously just one important measure that must be taken in order to weather the storm, but it will require a multifaceted approach to attract and retain the workforce we sorely need to rise and meet the challenges we face as an industry. Business by its very nature isn’t risk-free and in order to enjoy the benefits of bustling demand we need a strong workforce. They are the life blood of our sector.

Who is at risk of redundancy?

The cross-industry ‘People Survey’ was carried out by Build UK on behalf of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) at the start of June 2020, to provide a snapshot of how a reduced workload post coronavirus (COVID-19) may affect the construction workforce. It atincipates that over 40% of construction firms anticipate making redundancies in the coming months.

There is anticipated to be a 7.7% reduction in the number of directly employed workers across the industry by September.

In the longer term, 43% of respondents anticipate making redundancies, with up to 20% of their workforce being affected.

There is also expected to be a 26.7% reduction in the number of self-employed and agency workers across the industry by September.

Housebuilders, specialist contractors and contractors are the most significant users of self-employed and agency workers. Whilst housebuilders and specialist contractors anticipate reducing their numbers by just 4% and 11% respectively, Contractors are looking to reduce self-employed and agency workers by 42%. Other sectors most likely to reduce their numbers are Material Suppliers by 54.5% and Consultants by 45.6%.

Combining these figures shows an anticipated reduction in the construction workforce of 9.9% by September.

In summary

Who can we afford to lose, if anybody? Before we do anything, we must make sure we are asking the right questions. If we roll back the clock (if only!) to pre-Brexit, talk of skills shortages and what are we going to do without the immigrant workforce was on everybody’s lips. Could it be that a great many of the redundancies might be the trainees that the industry brought on board in response to the skills shortage? In other words, are we taking steps to survive now that might send us back to square one skills-wise once things level out again? Can we afford to undo such progress?

Trade media also reported extensively on an ageing workforce; could it be that many of the more mature members of our workforce are now being let go or opting to take redundancy? What will the effect of losing these skilled workers have on our ability to train new talent? Don’t we need them to pass the torch when it comes to trade knowledge? So many questions. So few answers! One thing seems certain; we mustn’t be rash in letting our workforce go too soon.

Only by ensuring that our industry has the skills it requires both now and in the future can we hold any hope of success. Let’s push the conversation in the right direction, away from mere pounds and pence. What is the construction industry without people? Nothing.

 

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Could 50% of office space, become 100% housing?

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Transforming spaces – repurposing office space to meet housing demand

We find ourselves in the midst of a chronic housing shortage in Britain today. According to the National Housing Federation, there are an estimated 8.4 million people in England are living in an unaffordable, insecure or unsuitable home. The housing crisis was impacting all ages across every part of the country.

Joe Bradbury discusses

Analysis shows that:

  • 6 million people are living in an overcrowded home
  • 5 million are unable to afford their rent or mortgage
  • 5 million are in “hidden households” they cannot afford to move out of, including house shares, adults living with their parents, or people living with an ex-partner
  • 7 million are in unsuitable housing such as older people stuck in homes they cannot get around and families in properties which have no outside space
  • 4 million are in poor quality homes
  • 400,000 are homeless or at risk of homelessness – including people sleeping rough, living in homeless shelters, temporary accommodation or sofa-surfing

It’s deeply distressing that, across England, councils are being forced to leave the people they are trying to help on the streets or drifting from sofa to sofa – all because they cannot find somewhere safe and affordable for them to live. The Homelessness Reduction Act has made some good progress in preventing people from becoming homeless, but it’s worrying to see that it’s being constrained by a chronic lack of housing and cuts to housing benefit.

 

Could converting empty offices into homes be part of the answer?

In short, yes. But as with everything, there are caveats.

Demand for office space in the UK is predicted to drop by as much as 50% as across the board companies realise the cost-saving potential of flexibility post-Covid-19, according to a new report by commercial property specialists Instant Offices.

With 60% of the UK workforce working from home during peak-lockdown and millions of businesses struggling to cover overheads, offices across the country have been left standing empty and rental negotiations have stalled.

Alongside this, at least 320,000 people are homeless in Britain, according to research by the housing charity Shelter.

This amounts to a year-on-year increase of 13,000, a 4% rise, despite government pledges to tackle the crisis. The estimate suggests that nationally one in 200 people are homeless.

Shelter says its figures, which include rough sleepers and people in temporary accommodation, are likely to be an underestimate of the problem as they do not capture people who experience “hidden” homelessness, such as sofa-surfers, and others living insecurely in sheds or cars, for example.

It seems either cruel or incredibly disorganised that so many people are forced onto the streets, whilst at a vacancy rate of 4.5 per cent (57.6 million sq ft of empty space) the amount of unused commercial office space in the UK right now is almost 50 times larger than London’s O2 Arena, which is 1.2 million sq ft.

Workspace experts the Instant Group, said “Covid-19 has shown the world that we can cope with rapid changes to the way we all work, and as more businesses embrace flexibility, we’re going to see a permanent shift in the way an office can meet individual needs.”

If this is the case, will we also see a shift in the way we meet housing demand?

Two sides to every story

Not everybody thinks turning office space into housing is a good idea. Analysis by the Local Government Association earlier this year revealed that nearly one in 10 new homes over the last two years was converted from an office and included no affordable housing or supporting investment in infrastructure such as roads, schools and health services.

This is as a direct result of ministers expanding so-called “permitted development rights” (PDRs) five years ago to enable office buildings to be converted to housing with no need for planning permission, in an attempt to push forward construction of new homes.

Since then, more than 42,000 homes have been converted from offices under the provision in the past three financial years alone according to government figures, whilst the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) posits the actual figure is likely to be closer to 95,000 PDR conversions from 2010 to 2017.

Then, in 2017-18, such conversions helped to push new home construction up to 222,190, a 10-year high. Is this a cause for celebration? Perhaps not.

Over 30% of office-to-residential conversions have been in London — with more in Croydon than any other borough, government data show. Another third are in metropolitan areas, including Manchester, Bradford and Leeds. The rest reside in the more rural counties.

Since 2015, a total of 30,575 housing units in England have been converted from offices to flats without having to go through the planning system.

While this amounts to approximately 8% of new homes nationally, in some parts of the country it is responsible for around two thirds of all new housing.

The Local Government Association asserts that permitted development (which unlike new developments has no requirement to include affordable housing) has led to the potential loss of 7,644 affordable homes over the last two years.

As well as exacerbating the housing crisis, councils are now also warning that office space could dry up as a result, leaving businesses and start-ups without any premises in which to base themselves. How would such an obstacle affect an already fragile economy?

 

The LGA’s Housing spokesman, Cllr Martin Tett commented “Councils want to see more affordable homes built quickly and the conversion of offices into residential flats is one way to deliver much-needed homes.

“However it is vital that councils and local communities have a voice in the planning process. At present, permitted development rules allow developers to bypass local influence and convert offices to flats, and to do so without providing affordable housing and local services and infrastructure such as roads and schools.

“Permitted development is detrimental to the ability of local communities to shape the area they live in.

“Planning is not a barrier to house-building, and councils are approving nine in 10 planning applications. But it is essential that councils, which are answerable to their residents, have an oversight of local developments to ensure they are good quality and help build prosperous places. The resulting loss of office space can risk hampering local plans to grow economies and attract new businesses and jobs to high streets and town centres.”

Croydon is one such place to be feeling the strain of rushed decisions. Known for its ageing office stock, the area has seen thousands of new homes created under permitted development rights. From 2015, the council used its powers to override the PDR provision so that office-to-residential conversions once again needed permission. But plans already rushed through will ultimately result in 2,708 new homes.

In a recent article for the Financial Times on the subject, Paul Scott, Croydon’s council cabinet member responsible for planning and regeneration, said “It’s totally unreasonable, and unprecedented in all other aspects of planning, to be able to build whatever you want. We are seeing units with no windows — we are building the slums of the future in Croydon now.

“We are seeing hundreds of substandard units in what were already fairly poor quality office buildings. To pretend that this is somehow responding positively to the housing crisis is a farce.”

In summary

We need more homes. But we need to avoid sprawl also. Private housing developers are closing in on our green spaces and making a packet, whilst somehow managing not to make a dent on the housing shortage in any meaningful way. With so many people homeless or living in temporary accommodation and this figure on the increase, I would say that we have to start using some of our office stock to meet bustling demand. However, it is clear to see that we need to do this in a smart way.

In my role as editor for Modern Methods of Construction Magazine I have seen the potential that offsite has to offer – not just in terms of new build, but also when it comes to repurposing an old building to make it fit for modern life. We have the technology and the knowhow; it’s in our hands.

Perhaps we need to develop a more healthy relationship with our current planning legislation, instead of seeing it as a barrier to overcome, by hook or by crook. Let’s change it so it works for everyone.

It is clear to see the potential that converting office spaces into homes has to offer 21st century Britain, but without collaboration and a strong desire to create decent homes at an affordable price at the core of our professional values, we run the risk of sleepwalking out of one crisis and into another. Let’s keep the conversation going and get this right, because it isn’t going away.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

 

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COVID LESSONS

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What has COVID-19 taught us about our impact on the environment?

Are you a glass-half-empty person, or a glass-half-full? In other words, can you draw any positives from tragedy that might make undergoing the suffering less meaningless? What have we learned about ourselves and one another throughout the coronavirus crisis that might help us forge a path into a brave new world, post-COVID? MMC Editor and buildingspecifier.com contributor discusses:

A rare disaster in the form of pandemic has temporarily brought the world to its knees. Countries have spent the last few months scrabbling to fight an invisible enemy, as the world went in lockdown. The subsequent collapse in activity that has resulted from this is unlike anything experienced in living memory; the word ‘unprecedented’ is bandied about in daily parlance.

The tragic loss of lives aside, economists project global 2020 growth at -6.1 percent… that’s MINUS. Emerging market and developing economies with normal growth levels well above advanced economies are also projected to have negative growth rates of -1.0 percent in 2020, and -2.2 percent if you exclude China. A recent UN study said 81% of the world’s workforce of 3.3 billion people had had their place of work fully or partly closed because of the outbreak.

As unemployment figures are masked with terms such as furlough (how many furloughed staff will have a company to return to, post-lockdown?) we find ourselves in the worst economic recession since the Great Depression in the 1930’s.

Whilst we casting worried eyes over our dwindling bank accounts, it can be hard sometimes to see any difference between real life and money. Yet there is.

Without our environment, there would be nothing

According to new research by construction blog Bimhow, the construction sector contributes to 23% of air pollution, 50% of the climatic change, 40% of drinking water pollution, and 50% of landfill wastes globally. In separate research by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the construction industry accounts for 40% of worldwide energy usage, with estimations that by 2030 emissions from commercial buildings will grow by 1.8%.

As an industry, we are the UK’s largest user of natural resources and the largest producer of waste. Recent figures indicate the construction industry uses around 420 million tonnes of materials each year. From these materials, around 120 million tonnes are waste; that’s almost 60% of the national total. From this waste, it’s estimated that 25 million tonnes ends up in landfill sites.

Over the next 100 years with 2C+ global warming locked in, the very existence of some atoll nations is threatened by rising sea-levels. Limiting warming to 1.5C may restrict sea level rise below 1 metre; yet even at 1.5C warming, regional food security risks are significant. Africa is particularly vulnerable, with significant reduction in staple crop yields in some countries. Between 1.5C-2C increase, mountains lose their glaciers meaning people will lose their water supplies. The entire Indian subcontinent will be fighting for survival. As the glaciers disappear from all but the highest peaks, their runoff will cease to power the massive rivers that deliver vital freshwater to hundreds of millions. Water shortages and famine will be the result, destabilising the entire region. The whole Greenland ice sheet would vanish within 140 years. Miami would disappear, as would most of Manhattan. Central London would be flooded. Bangkok, Bombay and Shanghai would lose most of their area.

No matter what viruses and threats come our way, something must be done about this. Without a healthy environment to live in, there can be no healthy life.

Taking positives from something negative

Throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic, the media has been a double edged sword. It fills us with fear and loathing, and then throws a curveball our way in the form of a positive news story about clear skies over Tokyo for the first time in decades, dolphins returning to the canals and waterways of Venice and unpolluted skies ample for stargazing. None of this comes as a surprise; the wonders of nature are set free when we get out of its way.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is an agency of the European Union, whose task is to provide sound, independent information on the environment. The EEA aims to support sustainable development by helping to achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe’s environment, through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policymaking agents and the public.

The EEA’s data for March (the height of the pandemic) also showed how concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a pollutant mainly emitted by road transport, have decreased in many Italian cities. For example:

In Milan, average concentrations of NO2 in March were at least 24 % lower than four weeks earlier this year. The average concentration during the week of 16-22 March was 21 % lower than for the same week in 2019.

In Bergamo, there was a constant decline in NO2 pollution throughout March. The average concentration during the week of 16-22 March was 47 % lower than for the same week in 2019.

In Rome, average NO2 concentrations were 26-35 % lower than for the same weeks in 2019.

Similar trends can be seen in other European cities where lockdown measures have been implemented.

In Barcelona, average NO2 levels went down by 40 % from one week to the next. Compared with the same week in 2019, the reduction was 55 %.

In Madrid, average NO2 levels went down by 56 % from one week to the next. Compared with the same week in 2019, the reduction was 41 %.

In Lisbon, average NO2 levels went down by 40 % from one week to the next. Compared with the same week in 2019, the reduction was 51 %.

Exposure to air pollution can lead to adverse health effects, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. A number of health authorities have warned that those citizens with certain pre-existing conditions, such as respiratory illnesses, may have an increased vulnerability to COVID-19. However at present it is not clear whether ongoing exposure to air pollution might worsen the condition of those infected by the virus. Further epidemiological research is needed to address such questions.

What does this mean?

To put it simply, it means that we can make big changes in short periods of time when we pull together for a common cause. It gives me hope for humanity.

Recent research from leading research and advisory company Gartner revealed that 74% CFO’s (Chief Financial Officers) intend to shift some employees to remote work permanently.

The survey of 317 CFOs and Finance leaders on 30th March revealed that 74% will move at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanently remote positions post-COVID 19.

“This data is an example of the lasting impact the current coronavirus crisis will have on the way companies do business,” said Alexander Bant, practice vice president, research for the Gartner Finance Practice. “CFOs, already under pressure to tightly manage costs, clearly sense an opportunity to realize the cost benefits of a remote workforce. In fact, nearly a quarter of respondents said they will move at least 20% of their on-site employees to permanent remote positions.”

With more people working remotely, could we be witnessing the beginning of the end of 2 to 3 hour commutes in standstill traffic to squeeze into office buildings in the city centre? Could we reduce vehicle emission and repurpose some office buildings to help tackle other pressing issues facing society, such as the housing crisis? It is certainly food for thought… for the glass-half-full person.

In conclusion

Coronavirus has raised countless questions, some which might never be answered. It is a horrible fact of life that we all have to live with now. Perhaps, as we begin to regain control of the situation, we should draw as many positives as we can from the harsh lessons we have learned so that it wasn’t all in vain. We owe it to those who have lost their lives and their loved ones to it.

It’s time to shift our perspective back to the environment and make sure we are building a world in which people can live and thrive. It is our duty, as construction industry professionals, to build a better future. Let’s get it right.

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COVID-19: Government must Help Britain’s builders now more than ever

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It would probably be easier to list the things that haven’t affected by Coronavirus. This crisis has touched us all, pressing pause on progress overall. Now, small and medium-sized construction building companies need urgent and immediate additional support from the Government to prevent wide-scale insolvencies and job losses, according to industry experts. Buildingspecifier’s Joe Bradbury investigates:

 

How long will this go on?

 

“At this point, the answer to this is anyone’s guess. In Boris Johnson’s opening statement from yesterday’s press conference on coronavirus, the PM stated “I want to begin by thanking everyone, by thanking you, in the media, and also thanking everyone for the huge efforts that the country is making to comply with the advice that we’ve been given.

 

“We’re asking such a huge amount, asking students to put their education on hold, we’re asking people not to socialise in the normal way, and already we can see the impact that this is having on the UK economy and on business, on great, great companies.

 

“It’s vital that we in Government stand behind them when what we are asking everyone to do is so crucial for saving literally thousands of lives by defeating this virus.

 

“I am conscious as the days have gone by that people will want to know how long we are expecting them to keep it up and I wanted to try to say something about how I see the timescale of this campaign and where we’re going and what we need to do.

 

“I do think, looking at it all, that we can turn the tide within the next 12 weeks.”

 

Builders have reported the following impacts on their firms:

 

  • Three-quarters (76%) say projects have been delayed or cancelled;
  • Just under two-thirds (64%) have seen a drop in enquiries;
  • Almost all (98%) estimate that one quarter (25%) or fewer of their staff can work from home; and
  • Almost one in ten (8%) have already had to make redundancies, representing 58 individuals now without jobs.

 

The Federation of Master Builders is calling on the Government to:

 

  • Provide a three month tax holiday on VAT, PAYE and CIS payments. The Government must also delay the implementation of Reverse Charge VAT by one year;
  • Extend the £25,000 cash grant currently only provided to retail and hospitality to construction firms;
  • Provide the equivalent rate of Statutory Sick Pay to the self-employed who fill 37% of industry jobs;
  • Ensure that the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme is quick and easy to use, and is launched as soon as possible.

 

The FMB is also calling on the Government to work with the CITB to help employers keep their apprentices; provide clarification to builders and householders whether social distancing means all domestic building work must stop even if all concerned are well; and start to issue construction industry-specific guidance.

 

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Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “The Government has overlooked the market in which small builders operate. Builders working in the domestic sector simply cannot work from home and are already feeling the impact of the pandemic as a result. The Government must intervene as a matter of urgency if small building companies are to protect their workforces, avoid further job losses, and prevent building companies going to the wall.”

 

“We musn’t allow a repeat of the 2008 recession when one in three SME construction firms left the industry. Building new homes and levelling-up infrastructure will be key to rebuilding our economy after the virus has passed, and the Government will need an army of builders in place to deliver that.”

 

“The FMB is supporting its 7,500 members during this difficult time, through its dedicated helplines, tailored communication and guidance, and insurance services. We are also working closely with the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) as well as other industry bodies to ensure the industry is united through this crisis. I’m calling on the Government to match our efforts and ramp up their support for builders immediately.”

 

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders, added “The situation is extremely serious, especially for the elderly, people with underlying health conditions, pregnant parents or very young children. Government and the construction sector needs to also recognise the risk of mass absence from construction sites and the potential impact of delayed payment resulting in the need to lay staff off or make redundancies. A pragmatic and dynamic risk based approach, supported by government is needed.

 

NFB is working hard to ensure its members are supported with the relevant guidance on the coronavirus, for example on statutory sick pay, commercial legal advice on construction contracts and general business advice of mitigating the risk for essential construction work.”

 

So far, several NFB members have reported issues of absence through self-isolation. However, with government advice and guidance pointing to a substantial increase on the current 1,500 cases, it is clear that things will change rapidly in the coming days and weeks.

 

In summary

What is happening now is unprecedented. Brexit and the election, once permanently on everybody’s lips have been replaced with a chronic sense of fear and uncertainty. We don’t know how this will affect construction over the coming weeks and months, but we do know that the impact will be profound. In order to survive, we will need to put our differences aside, let go of old rivalries and work collectively as an industry. It seems a strange irony to end on at a time where social distancing is being actively encouraged, but we need to pull together, now more than ever. Future success may very well depend upon i

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Flooding: a buildingspecifier overview

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Buildingspecifier.com’s Joe Bradbury discusses the topic on everyone’s lips at present – flooding.

“It’s a bit black over Bill’s mothers” is an understatement. Apparently, according to the Met, England has received 144% of the average February rainfall this month, and as a resident of Tamworth, a town in the Midlands that two rivers pass through, I’m inclined to agree. Record river levels have been broken on the Colne, Ribble, Calder, Aire, Trent, Severn (which passes through Tamworth), Wye, Lugg, and Derwent.

Even our local theme park Drayton Manor is currently closed, due to their lake bursting its banks. Make no mistake, Britain is waterlogged. We must not underestimate the destructive power and danger of flooding. Not in this day and age.

Global warming

Did you know, the world’s population is currently consuming the equivalent of 1.6 planets resources a year? The Global Footprint Network estimates that if we continue to consume at current rates we’ll blow the global carbon budget and lock in more than 2C of global warming in approximately 17 years.

 

Over the next 100 years with 2C+ global warming locked in, the very existence of some atoll nations is threatened by rising sea-levels. Limiting warming to 1.5C may restrict sea level rise below 1 metre; yet even at 1.5C warming, regional food security risks are significant. Africa is particularly vulnerable, with significant reduction in staple crop yields in some countries. Between 1.5C-2C increase, mountains lose their glaciers meaning people will lose their water supplies. The entire Indian subcontinent will be fighting for survival. As the glaciers disappear from all but the highest peaks, their runoff will cease to power the massive rivers that deliver vital freshwater to hundreds of millions. Water shortages and famine will be the result, destabilising the entire region. The whole Greenland ice sheet would vanish within 140 years. Miami would disappear, as would most of Manhattan. Central London would be flooded. Bangkok, Bombay and Shanghai would lose most of their area.

 

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Lack of awareness

A recent YouGov research identified an alarming general lack of flood risk knowledge across the UK.

Ten years since the devastating summer floods of 2007, which saw over 48,000 homes affected by flooding, it seems the UK population is still failing to take adequate steps to understand whether their homes are at risk of flooding, with more than half (53%) of respondents to the infamous survey confirming they have never checked whether their homes’ in an area officially considered to be at risk of flooding.

This actually increases to 63% when specifically asking people in Scotland and higher again, 75%, when questioning people in Northern Ireland.

In addition, when asked what their biggest concern would be if they were to find out their home is located in an ‘at risk’ area, 31% said the potential for loss of damage to personal possessions was their main worry.

It was clear that those surveyed felt that the likes of construction companies, local councils, government and environmental authorities could be doing more to raise awareness and manage defence against flooding with 35% saying their confidence is about the same as it was in 2007. The online survey highlighted that consumer knowledge of how to check whether a property is considered at risk from flooding was limited; 39% said that checking online via Google or other search engines would be their first port of call, followed by asking the Environment Agency (25%) and then asking their local council (13%).

The same number of people also (13%) also stated that they would not know where to turn for this information at all.

Should we build houses or an ark?

An article in the Guardian this week revealed that more than 11,000 new homes are planned to be built on land at the highest risk of flooding in the regions battered by the worst winter storms in a generation.

The article stated that “an analysis of planning documents reveals that 11,410 new homes have been planned for land the government considers high-risk in the seven English counties where thousands of properties have been devastated by flooding since November.”

Greenpeace’s journalism project Unearthed and the Guardian conducted a joint analysis of housebuilding plans for the next five years in those areas already affected.

Unearthed’s coverage noted that “parts of the West Midlands have been devastated by the resulting floods. Whole areas of Shrewsbury were left underwater, with villages and towns affected all along the Welsh border.

“Local plans for Worcester, Shropshire and Herefordshire councils, which were badly affected, show they are planning for 1,224 homes to be built over the next five years in medium and high-risk flood areas.

“In Herefordshire alone, 325 homes are set to be built in flood-prone areas. Some of this land has already been left under water by Storm Dennis and other new developments had caused problems downstream for older homes that had never flooded before.”

 John Harrington, the council’s cabinet member for infrastructure, described the government’s housing policy as “completely and utterly flawed” and that it was forcing local authorities to approve “idiotic” developments on floodplains so they can meet demands from Whitehall.

“Central government just say ‘There’s a housing target, now go do it’. It’s really quite stupid. It’s devolving responsibility without giving the authority any power or money to deal with the situation. It is absolutely unacceptable.”

In summary

When it comes to dealing with flooding, planning ahead really is the best policy and knowing whether your property is at risk from flooding will ensure that you are better prepared.

After seeing first-hand the impact of the flooding in and around the Midland’s alone, it is clear that the growing threat from more extreme weather events means we must reassure ourselves, and those communities at risk, that our defences, our modelling and our future plans are robust… So are they? Let’s take a look.

 

As building specifiers, I ask you; is building on flood plains a good idea? Let us know in the comments below.

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The human cost of rapidly rising energy costs

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Life got a little harder for many last year when the last of” the big six” energy firms hiked prices to the maximum (SSE) – hitting customers with an average 10.3% price rise. This has increased the gap between the cost of energy and what people can realistically afford by 9%, worsening the ongoing national issue of inadequately heated homes. Joe Bradbury of buildingspecifier.com discusses the human cost:

 

Back in 2018, annual energy bills for five million vulnerable households increased by up to £47 after the UK industry regulator raised the cap on prices for the second time that year on the back of higher wholesale costs. The rise saw the level of the safeguard tariff rise to £1,136 a year for a typical customer using both electricity and gas. Suppliers cannot currently charge more than the cap but are expected to increase their tariffs to the maximum.

This was the second rise in energy costs in 2018, with all of the big six energy suppliers (and many of the newer challenger firms) raising their prices earlier this year and blaming it on an increase in wholesale costs.

 

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Prior to the second rise, Ofgem naturally attempted to add a positive spin to the increase, saying that the new limit will save UK consumers around £1bn per year. However, the reality is that there are around 4.5 million fuel poor homes in the UK. There are also a further 21 million UK households suffering with poor energy efficiency – below B and C on an Energy Performance Certificate.

Flash forward to the present and see that SSE have become the last of the big six energy firms to hike prices to the maximum allowed under the new cap on standard variable tariffs (SVTs) – hitting customers with an average 10.3% price rise.

These changes make things even harder for those people already struggling to pay bills and push new people into the bracket of fuel poverty, further exacerbating a problem that is currently out of control in Britain today.

What is a fuel poor household?

 

A fuel poor household is roughly defined as one which needs to spend more than 10% of its income on all fuel use and to heat its home to an adequate standard of warmth (21°C in the living room and 18°C in other occupied rooms).

Fuel poverty is a perpetual annual cycle of misery for those affected. In a bid to try and struggle through the winter many tenants resort to either using their central heating sporadically, or using small space heaters instead.

Unfortunately, this often leads to high levels of condensation within a household, where small sections of the house are warm and the surrounding rooms are cold. Where cold air meets warm surfaces is the perfect environment for mould and damp to flourish, leaving poor health implications and damaged property in its wake.

Make no bones about it – fuel poverty is a tragic crisis.

 

How sustainable heating and ventilation solutions can help

 

The only tangible long-term sustainable solution for alleviating fuel poverty would be to establish a properly funded programme to insulate all affected homes and ensure an efficient and up-to-date heating system is installed. Of course, guaranteeing this outcome would require significant investment – estimated at about £1.7 billion per annum over 15 years.

Although such significant investment seems unfeasible, one must consider how fuel poverty can severely affect people’s health because homes are often under-heated.

 

The human cost

 

Fuel poverty puts enormous pressure on hospitals and doctors surgeries across the country. This is not only because of the physical and mental impact of living in a cold home, but also because it can actually extend the period of time a vulnerable patient is kept in hospital, with some actually not being discharged until their home is renovated to habitable state once again.

The impact is estimated to burden the NHS with costs of £1.36 billion per annum.

According to the ‘End Fuel Poverty Coalition,’ there are around 4.5 million fuel poor homes in the UK today. There are also a further 21 million UK households suffering with poor energy efficiency – below B and C on an Energy Performance Certificate.

Evaluations undertaken by both ‘Warm Front’ and ‘the Scottish CHP’ indicated that residents with bedroom temperatures at 21°C are 50% less likely to suffer depression and anxiety than those with temperatures of 15°C.

According to the NHS, keeping warm over the winter months can help prevent colds, flu or more serious health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia and depression.

Fuel poverty is often thought of as a financial problem, but at best poses several health and wellbeing issues for an affected tenant and at worst claims lives.

According to e3g, England has the second worst record on cold weather-related deaths out of 30 European countries. Figures reveal a staggering 32,000 excess winter deaths in the UK over the last 5 years – with 9,700 each year estimated to be linked to living in cold homes.

It is also a known contributor to the 25,000 excess winter deaths per year in England and Wales. As the ageing population increases, with diminishing pensions so will the health risks and related cost.

Renewable heating systems such as air source heat pumps can immediately help alleviate fuel poverty.

 

In summary

 

The price cap keeps getting bigger, along with the gap between action to deliver warm homes and the apparent ambition to do. Whilst the price hike makes financial sense for energy supplies it has to be a step in the wrong direction for society. Everybody has the right to a warm home and we have the technology at our disposal to provide that. Let’s get to work removing the financial and political constraints that are currently keeping people in the cold… and let’s do it quick because it’s still cold out!

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AIR QUALITY – Bringing the Outside Inside

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Did you know the average British person spends 22 hours a day inside? That’s around 90% of their overall day. The reasons cited for this are many, from adverse weather conditions to work commitments. Developing technology is partly to blame, with TV’s, smart devices and consoles proving too addictive for many to peel themselves away from for prolonged periods of time. But technology is also part of the solution, transforming the great indoors into a healthy environment in which we can thrive. Joe Bradbury of buildingspecifier.com discusses:

On a typical weekday the average Brit spends just 8-10% of their time outside (less than two hours) and most of this is spent moving from one building to another on foot or by car. Unfortunately, this is also true of our children too; 36% of parents think their kids are not spending enough time outside, whilst 1 in 6 are uncertain themselves of how much time outdoors is actually sufficient.

Studies show that over half of parents worry that their young ones are spending significantly less time out than they themselves did when they were children, indicating an overall shift in behaviour as a society.

 

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Whilst it is critically important that we all get outside as much as we can and appreciate nature in all its splendour, it is also vital that our technology moves with the times to ensure the indoor environments we inhabit are not taking a toll on our health and wellbeing.

Invisible threat

Sat comfortably inside our homes, offices and schools we pay little mind to the invisible threats posed by poor quality air. But those harmful gases, chemicals, toxins and pollutants that we unwittingly breathe are responsible for many of the migraines, skin and eye irritations, allergic reactions and general tiredness that plague us all from time to time.

Experts agree that poor indoor air quality in UK homes is at a scale and magnitude that needs immediate national-level attention and action.

Both built environment and medical professionals recently came together to highlight the true danger of poor IAQ, which alarmingly is responsible for around 40,000 deaths throughout Britain each year. The Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, BRE and the ARCC network released a report revealing the lack of robust, longitudinal, shared Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) profiles, associated health consequences and datasets across the national housing stock.

Recommendations included revising building regulations and reducing pollutant emissions from construction materials and home improvement products.

Professor Stephen Holgate, Special Advisor on Air Quality to the Royal College of Physicians said “There is a growing body of evidence that suggests volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are also being produced by synthetic building and furnishing materials. At the same time, insulating homes without adequate ventilation can trap a potentially toxic cloud coming from everyday household products such as air fresheners and cleaning products.

“We need to strike a balance between talking to technologists to develop solutions for those able to improve the situation within their own means and ensuring effort is going into “making normal better.”

The report also called for nationwide monitoring and pooling of data required for outdoor and indoor air pollution including encouraging widespread installation of real time sensors that detect indoor pollutants.

It is said that time is a great healer; however, when a serious issue (such as poor indoor air quality) is ignored then in time the damage it can inflict on our bodies can be fatal. Prolonged exposure to serious pollutants found throughout British buildings leads to the development of certain kinds of cancers long-term health concerns.

On average, 3 people a day die from asthma. There are 5.4 million people (1.1 million children and 4.3 million adults) in Great Britain known to be suffering from the condition… and they are just the ones that came forward for treatment. An untold number battle through their symptoms

undiagnosed. The UK has some of the highest asthma rates in Europe. Every day, the lives of three families are devastated by the death of a loved one to an asthma attack, and tragically two thirds of these deaths are preventable.

Indoor air quality is essential in the treatment and prevention of Asthma, along with many other respiratory conditions.

Tech that can help

If you work in the construction industry, you may have already been specifying devices aimed at improving IAQ, such as air filters and heat pumps as part of your workload. But for those who have yet to come across them, allow me to explain how they work:

MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) provides fresh filtered air into a building whilst retaining most of the energy that has already been used in heating the building. Heat Recovery Ventilation is the solution to the ventilation needs of energy efficient buildings. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), heat recovery ventilation (HRV) or Comfort ventilation are all names for the same thing. A heat recovery ventilation system properly fitted into a house provides a constant supply of fresh filtered air, maintaining the air quality whilst being practically imperceptible.

MVHR works by extracting the air from the polluted sources e.g. kitchen, bathroom, toilets and utility rooms and supplying air to the ‘living’ rooms e.g. bedrooms, living rooms, studies etc. The extracted air is taken through a central heat exchanger and the heat recovered into the supply air. This works both ways; if the air inside the building is colder than the outside air then the building will retain its nice and cool temperature.

An airtight building with effective filtration and ventilation is proven to reduce particle penetration by 78%.

 

In summary

Everyone is at risk from indoor air pollution. As a civilisation, we of course need to treat the causes of this pollution, by cleaning up our act and lowering our carbon footprint. In the interim however, the construction industry will play an invaluable part in treating the symptoms of our misdemeanours, developing and installing technologies that will allow us all to breathe a sigh of relief whilst indoors.

As an industry, we have the power to ensure the safety of the users and occupants of buildings nationwide. We still have a way to go, but Britain is taking valiant steps towards a sustainable and healthy future and addressing the pressing issue of poor indoor air quality across the country is paramount. Do not underestimate your role in this sea change as a building specifier… what you can offer is a breath of fresh air!

 

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Housing crisis: 2020 update

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With Christmas behind us and another year being added to the number of years of failure in housing policy, it would be all too easy to let the January blues creep in. The once common concept of home ownership is now an impossible dream for many, and untold numbers of people are being pushed into homelessness.

The catastrophic decline in social housing has left millions feeling insecure in unaffordable homes they’ll never own. Unless we take action, the future of man will be a generation of young families that are, at best, trapped renting privately for their whole lives, with billions in welfare costs being paid to private landlords. Something must be done. Joe Bradbury investigates:

 

If the end of 2019 taught us anything then it is that we are a country divided in opinion. However, one thing that everyone can agree on is that something needs to be done to tackle homelessness, which is now at its highest peak since records began.

Just before Christmas, homelessness charity Shelter revealed that 280,000 people are recorded as homeless in England alone and at least 320,000 throughout the whole of Britain – an increase of 23,000 since 2016 when the charity first published its landmark annual report.

 

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Shelter’s extensive analysis of official rough sleeping and temporary accommodation figures, along with social services records, showed that in one in every 200 people are without a home.

A staggering 135,000 children in Britain are homeless or living in temporary accommodation; it is estimated that a child loses their home every eight minutes. This is the equivalent of 183 children per day, enough to fill 2.5 double decker buses.

As if these figures weren’t horrific enough, it’s widely known that a lot of homelessness goes undocumented, including sofa-surfing and some rough sleeping. This means the true level of homelessness may never be known, and this could all just be the tip of the iceberg.

The harsh reality is that unless the new government takes urgent action to address the dire lack of social homes at the crux of this emergency, the situation is likely to get worse.

What do we need to do to end the housing crisis? The first step is to know your enemy.

The housing crisis explained

Put simply, a housing crisis comes about when rapid increases in the price of property reach unsustainable levels relative to incomes, price-to-rent ratios, and other economic indicators of affordability. A housing crisis is a situation where people with a full time income still can’t afford a home because the market values are astronomical.

The distinct lack of affordable, decent homes for the UK population is having adverse effects throughout the country. Here a just a few examples of what happens when a nation finds itself within a housing crisis:

  • Home ownership is no longer an option for many. Due to the sheer scale of inflation, house prices are now estimated to be almost seven times people’s incomes. This means that despite people having full time employment, the chances of them being able to save and buy a house without the support of a relative is becoming exceedingly slim. In the past ten years, home ownership fell for the first time since Census records started. This leads to:
  • An increasing number of people renting from private landlords. Over 9 million tenants in Britain currently reside in private rented accommodation, 1.3 million of which are families with children. Renting unfortunately doesn’t offer the security that ownership provides, with increasing rents, hidden fees, loss of deposits and the constant threat eviction a persistent concern. It is also incredibly hard to regulate – one in three private rented homes in England alone fail to achieve the Decent Homes Standard.
  • Current mortgages stretch people too thin. A large portion of people who have managed to buy their own house have done so at a time where mortgages are so high and at the very top of their budget that there is no safety net and monthly repayments can be hard to meet. As a result of this many homes are repossessed each year across the UK. This causes a rise in:
  • Perhaps the most dramatic and sad impacts of the housing crisis is the distinct increase in homelessness that is being reported throughout Britain.

Build more homes

Recent figures published by the National Housing Federation (who represents housing associations in England, social landlords to 5 million people) and Crisis (the national charity for homeless people) reveals the true scale of the housing crisis in England.

To both meet this backlog and provide for future demand, the country needs to build 340,000 homes per year until 2031. This is significantly higher than current estimates (including the Government’s target of 300,000 homes annually), which have never before taken into account the true scale of housing need created by both homelessness and high house prices.

However, simply building a total of 340,000 homes each year will not meet this need – they will need to be the right type of homes. 145,000 of these new homes must be affordable homes, compared to previous estimates of the annual affordable housing need of around 78,000. This means that around two-fifths of all new homes built every year must be affordable homes – in 2016/17, only around 23% of the total built were affordable homes.

The new research also goes further than previous studies, breaking down exactly what type of affordable homes are needed:

  • 90,000 should be for social rent
  • 30,000 should be for intermediate affordable rent
  • 25,000 should be for shared ownership

What next?

We need to build 3.1 million more social homes over the next 20 years. This will allow the benefits of social housing to be offered much more widely, providing both security for those in need and a step up for young families trying to get on and save for their future.

The cost of land for social housing needs to come down. Government should reform the Land Compensation Act 1961 so that landowners are paid a fair market price for their land, rather than the price it might achieve with planning permission that it does not actually have. This in itself is an enormous barrier to building.

Plus, the benefit freeze is pushing low income families to the brink, with more than nine in ten homes for private rent (94%) too expensive for those on housing benefit. Two thirds of these families (65%) are in work.

Research by the National Housing Federation shows just how inadequate Local Housing Allowance now is for the 1.3million families who rely on it to cover the high cost of private rent. Low income families aren’t able to access social housing due to the sheer shortage of it, now they can’t access enough housing benefit to rent privately either.

It’s a new year and we have a new government. Whether it is the government you voted for or not is now moot; as an industry we need to apply pressure where necessary in order to fulfil our obligation to the swathes of homeless people throughout the country. For some, it’s a matter of life and death.

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investigation reveals new-build homes are not fire safe

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A shocking investigation undertaken by BBC Watchdog Live recently revealed that a number of new build homes built by developers Persimmon and Bellway Homes are not adequately fire safe. Joe Bradbury of buildingspecifier.com investigates:

 

The Grenfell tragedy

 

Fire safety has become the hot topic of debate over the last few years, and rightfully so. The horrific fire that broke out in 24-storey Grenfell Tower in 2017 has brought it to the forefront of our attention, having caused 72 deaths and injured a further 70 others. It is considered the deadliest structural fire in the United Kingdom since the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster and the worst UK residential fire since the Second World War. Negligence is now being sniffed out throughout the construction industry and those responsible are being held to account.

 

The fire was ignited by a malfunctioning fridge-freezer located on the fourth floor. Once the fire had taken hold it spread rapidly up the building’s exterior to all the residential floors. For many, the image of the tower engulfed in flame will be painfully etched in memory for many years to come.

 

Notre Dame

 

Fire struck again in world media on the 15th April this year, with newspapers, TV screens, phones and tablets sharing apocalyptic, images of Notre Dame aflame in Paris.

 

Crucial renovation and restoration works were underway when an electrical short circuit happened, resulting in the roof of Notre-Dame catching fire and burning for approximately 15 hours, before being extinguished; during which time the cathedral received immense damage.

 

Thankfully, no one was killed. The injuries sustained were largely cultural, with Notre Dame being arguably one of man’s finest architectural achievements.

 

Fire in figures

 

There were 558,963 incidents attended by the UK Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) last year. Of these incidents, around 161,770 were fires. These fires resulted in 261 fatalities and 7,081 non-fatal casualties. To put that into context – for every million people in England, there were 4.7 fire-related fatalities.

 

Unfortunately, fires happen… and their impact can be devastating. With this in mind, it comes as a great shock to hear that many new-builds constructed by two of the largest housebuilding firms were sold last year with missing or incorrectly installed fire barriers, which functions to prohibit the spread of fire throughout a property.

 

Is your new build safe?

 

In April 2018 a fire was started by a cigarette dropped at ground level in a Persimmon-built home in Exeter. It spread up to the roof of the house and then across to other properties nearby.

 

This fire sparked an investigation which found missing fire barriers at 37% of homes on the Greenacres estate, where the fire had taken place. This initiated wider investigation of thousands of homes throughout the South West, where over 650 homes were found to have missing or incorrectly installed fire barriers. The investigation continues and some of those affected are yet to be rectified; many houses are still awaiting inspection.

 

Since the issues in the South West became known last year, Persimmon have written to 3200 home owners in the region and created a dedicated team to carry out inspections in a prompt manner.

 

Thus far, 2700 homes have been inspected, and remedial work has been carried out at 679 properties. The company said sample checks were also being conducted nationwide. A spokesperson for Persimmon said “this should not have happened and we would like to apologise to all affected homeowners and assure them that we are doing everything we can to rectify the issue swiftly.”

 

The BBC investigation also uncovered potentially dangerous fire safety issues in developments in Kent and West Lothian built by Bellway Homes.

 

BBC Watchdog Live sent their own expert surveyor to a new build Bellway Homes development in West Lothian, to examine the fire protection at four houses, after concerns were raised by one resident whose house had previously been found to have inadequate fire barriers.

 

According to an article on the BBC website, surveyor and expert witness Greig Adams, who carried out the testing, found poorly fitted fire barriers at all four properties, with voids and gaps around them that would prevent them stopping fire from spreading. He said “What we’ve unfortunately found is that there are fire breach issues in every house we’ve looked at. It’s a legal requirement that the cavity barriers are to be there. It’s not optional – and with good reason: it saves lives.”

 

Bellway Homes have stated that they are “committed to improvement”.

 

In summary

 

Law dictates that new build homes must implement adequate fire protection measures which meet current Building Regulations to delay the spread of fire for as long as possible to maximise chances of escape for occupants.

 

The unsung heroes of a project, fire barriers are an integral part of a fire protection strategy and in many new builds (particularly timber-framed buildings) the barriers form a seal between different areas of a house. Without them, experts suggest that fire and smoke can spread five to ten times faster.

 

It is therefore of the utmost importance that housebuilders uphold their responsibility, ensuring that all new buildings are fully compliant with current Building Regulations. It’s a matter of life and death.

 

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Britain seeing huge growth in number of high-rise buildings

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Driven by a growing population and intensifying urbanisation, the construction of high-rise buildings has increased considerably in recent years – more high-rise buildings are now being constructed than at any other time. Joe Bradbury of buildingspecifier.com investigates:

 

Across the UK as a whole, there are currently over 270 existing high-rise buildings and structures, of which around 70% are in London. The UK has just 17 high-rise buildings over 150m (492ft.) in height and just one building – The Shard in London – over 300m.

Definitions of high-rise buildings vary, but an interesting report by AMA Research looks at UK regional and London developments of 15-20 storeys and above. Unlike other international cities, London is considered ‘low-rise’ for a global city and financial capital of the world; with the pace of high-rise development way behind other global cities. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of high-rise buildings proposed and approved for construction in the UK. The UK development pipeline currently stands at around 500 buildings, of which over 85% are planned in London, while the rest are clustered in key cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Salford.

In terms of end-use sector, around 70% of high-rise buildings currently under construction or under consideration across the UK are primarily residential, but with an element of mixed-use, e.g. retail, community or leisure.

In London, the high-rise market is being driven by the buoyant private housing sector, especially at the top-end of the market, and resurgence in demand for commercial property. The concept of high rise living has changed and the majority of high-rise residential tower blocks in UK cities are now being developed as luxury accommodation, targeting a very different demographic and being developed with a mixed-use element incorporating leisure facilities, concierge services, restaurants and retail.

Key factors affecting the development of high-rise buildings include cost, space efficiency, wind & seismic considerations, structural safety, risk challenges both on site and in completed buildings, speed of elevators, new building materials to potentially replace steel and concrete and damping systems. In addition, significant technical and logistical factors include pumping and placing concrete at extreme heights, and craning and lifting items to extreme heights.

Speaking with buildingspecifier.com, Hayley Thornley, Research Manager at AMA Research said

“Going forward, the high-rise construction market is set to continue to grow, with the ever-increasing demand for housing. However, there are concerns about too many projects aimed at the luxury end of the market, which is not matched with housing demand. In addition, the uncertainties surrounding the EU referendum may influence some high-rise schemes, with many projects in the pipeline forecast to exceed stated completion dates.”

The proportion of mixed-use schemes in the high-rise buildings pipeline is set to grow, with around 18% of developments either under construction or proposed with a mixed-use function. In the office market, rising take-up, low availability of grade-A space and increasing rents in cities such as Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh, is helping to boost output in the commercial office sector and has led to more speculative building.

Sustained growth in the private rented sector (PRS) is also driving the development of high-rise housing, with increasing financial backing from both domestic and foreign institutional investors. Student accommodation also forms a small, but significant proportion of high-rise building development with a number of schemes currently in planning.

 

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Given the fact that between now and 2026 the UK needs to build an additional 110,000 homes per annum on top of those currently projected in order to keep pace with our growing and ageing population, high rise could also play a pivotal role in ending the housing crisis going forward. Housebuilding is a particularly labour intensive industry and although new technologies and increased off-site production are being implemented to reduce costs and increase productivity, the supply of labour is still one of the binding constrictions on output.

Existing evidence suggests that the relationship between labour and number of houses that can be built is close to being linear. Therefore, in order to increase the number of homes being built the labour force employed in housebuilding needs to increase by the same share.

Current annual construction levels are typically less than half of the estimated 250,000 new homes this country needs built every year through to at least the 2030s. With only 63% of projects delivered on time and only 49% delivered to budget, it’s clear to see that traditional building practices, whilst still integral, are falling short of meeting major challenges on their own.

There is an urgent need for a mass volume of houses to be constructed in a limited time scale and whether the state takes on housebuilding, or if it is left to private house builders, the benefits of offsite construction could be crucial to meeting targets that have repeatedly been missed. Offsite construction provides housebuilders with programme certainty and quality though simplification of site operations and reduced weather dependencies due to the controlled factory-based assembly process. Houses delivered through offsite construction offer enhanced specification standards and build quality which reduces occupancy costs related to energy use, defects and repairs. There is significant evidence that suggests that the use of offsite construction has been successful when applied to meet the needs of significant housing developments at scale with consequential opportunities for standardisation of design details – particularly to meet the need of government led programmes.

To deliver the homes of tomorrow we need to attract new talent and diversify the way we build. What role do you think high rise will play in this? Let us know in the comments below!

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