“A2 BOARDS” ADD TO AIM’S HIGH IMPACT SOFFIT LINER RANGE

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High Impact Soffit Liner Boards with Euroclass Reaction to Fire A2-s1,d0 classification are now available from AIM – Acoustic & Insulation Manufacturing.  For use with concrete soffits where thermal or acoustic performance is required, the boards offer excellent impact resistance, so providing an insulated lining designed for semi exposed soffits, such as in car parks.

 

AIM manufactures a variety of non-fire rated High Impact Soffit Liner Boards.  Now, the fire, acoustic and thermal insulation specialist has invested in reaction to fire testing for its stonewool backed board, resulting in an A2-s1,d0 classified ‘limited combustibility’ option to add to the range.

 

The primary job of a soffit liner is to provide thermal insulation to the soffit typically the ceiling within semi exposed places, including car parks.  In such instances there is a requirement that the soffit insulation is protected with a cement board and that the combined product is of limited combustibility.  AIM’s A2 High Impact Soffit Liner Boards manufactured with stonewool insulation are classified in accordance with BS EN 13501-1 as A2-s1,d0 ‘limited combustibility’.  This applies to boards of a thickness from 56mm to 256mm.

 

AIM’s A2 High Impact Soffit Liner Boards can also be used as internal linings for walls and ceilings.

 

They are available in a wide range of thicknesses and insulation materials to suit the thermal resistance (U Value) required to support the thermal performance of the construction.  The AIM Technical Support Team can provide U Value calculations as required.

 

The boards can also contribute to the overall acoustic performance of the soffit/floor construction.  Acoustic testing is covered by Z11012 – Acoustic Performance BS EN ISO 10140-2.

 

The fibre cement facing board can be easily decorated to match colour schemes.  However, decoration would be outside the scope of the classification report for reaction to fire.  Pre-decorated and through coloured facing boards are available but these have not been classified for reaction to fire.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TECHNICAL LITERATURE

Part of the Performance Technology Group, UK-based AIM – Acoustic & Insulation Manufacturing has over 30 years of experience in the design, testing and manufacturing of high-quality fire, thermal and acoustic barriers.  The company produces a wide variety of bespoke insulation products to customer specification and a range of standard products.

 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE AIM WEBSITE

 

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Real Estate & Construction proposition includes Mass Timber

Aviva’s Global Corporate & Specialty (GCS) business has today launched its new and unified ‘Real Estate & Construction’ client practice, bringing together its Construction, Latent Defects and Real Estate teams under a single strategic vision.

The move marks an evolution of Aviva’s legacy ‘Property Investors’ title and reflects the changing needs of clients and brokers, who increasingly require joined-up thinking across the full lifecycle of commercial real estate and construction projects.

As part of this shift, Aviva is also expanding its appetite for sustainable construction of large commercial buildings through an enhanced Mass Timber proposition.  Aviva GCS Real Estate clients looking to build using Mass Timber in adherence with GCS risk management expertise, will be able to obtain lead line offerings from Aviva on Construction and Latent Defects.  Upon completion, Aviva will also offer lead line cover for the finished structure.

Whole-account underwriting and increased risk-management

With the unique model enabling whole-account underwriting, clients benefit from early engagement with Aviva’s underwriters, engineers, and claims specialists – ensuring continuity, transparency, and certainty across every stage of the project lifecycle.

This integrated approach is further strengthened by Aviva’s investment in Aviva Risk Management Solutions (ARMS), enhancing risk engineering and management from the earliest stages of pre-construction design through to long-term asset management. This is especially critical for addressing latent defects – hidden flaws in design, materials or workmanship that may only become apparent after a structure is completed.

Aviva’s holistic and tailored approach to risk management supports a smoother transition to real estate insurance by helping clients build portfolios that are more robust, resilient, and better protected against common losses, with the insurance coverage spanning a broad range of exposures under Aviva’s GCS umbrella, including Financial Lines, Legal Indemnities (title insurance), Mergers and Acquisitions, overseas Political Violence and Terrorism, and more.

Supporting sustainable development and reinstatement

Revised GCS Real Estate policy wording enhancements allow for more sustainable reinstatement of buildings, where policyholders are able to make resilient repairs which reduce the likelihood of future damage.  Cover also supports energy efficiency improvements such as additional insulation and the installation of solar panels.

With Mass Timber reducing embodied carbon by up to 50% compared to traditional reinforced concrete, the dual announcement reinforces Aviva’s commitment to delivering seamless insurance solutions that support clients to meet their own net-zero ambitions.

The enhanced Mass Timber proposition complements a growing suite of sustainable solutions that Aviva is prepared to consider insuring* – including living walls, solar panels. These forward-looking development strategies not only align with Aviva’s own ESG ambitions but also actively support the sustainability values of clients too.

Lead Multinational and Captive capabilities

The unified proposition is also underpinned by Aviva’s strengthened multinational and captive capabilities. Real Estate and Construction clients with global and complex risks can now benefit from a dedicated UK Multinational Hub, a coordinated compliance approach, and access to a network of experts across more than 180 territories.  With a capacity limit of £2bn, Aviva is well positioned to lead in delivering comprehensive multinational insurance solutions.

Aviva GCS has united its Real Estate, Construction and Latent Defects teams under one aligned strategy to keep pace with the fast-evolving world of real estate and construction – driven by accelerated build times, modern materials and complex regulation.

Matt Gordon, Underwriting Director, Specialty & Real Estate, Aviva

Matt Gordon, Underwriting Director, Specialty & Real Estate, said: 

“Aviva GCS has united its Real Estate, Construction and Latent Defects teams under one aligned strategy to keep pace with the fast-evolving world of real estate and construction – driven by accelerated build times, modern materials and complex regulation.

“Aviva has long been a leader in the real estate and construction market, having pioneered latent defects insurance in the UK over 40 years ago. Today, that legacy remains central to how we support sustainable development, uniquely enabling us to engage at design stage, before building even begins. Our enhanced mass timber proposition and tailored risk management solutions further reflect the future of the built environment: client focused, resilient and sustainable.

“This isn’t just a cosmetic change – it’s a fundamental shift in how we support clients and brokers. By aligning our teams and enhancing our proposition, we’re removing friction, enabling innovation and supporting sustainable development from foundation to finish. This joined-up approach gives clients the confidence to build for the future, helping the industry get ready for a low-carbon world.”

Aviva will host its GCS Real Estate & Construction Client Forum on Thursday, 10th July at its Hoxton site, where it will showcase its unified Real Estate & Construction proposition.

The list of GCS Real Estate enhancements includes:

  • Own Land Clean-Up:  cover where own land requires clean-up following insured damage up to a limit of £100k.
  • Resilient Repairs: provides a contribution towards more resilient repairs following a storm/flood up to a limit of £500k per event.
  • Energy Efficiency: increased limit of £500k for rebuilding in a manner that aims to reduce potential harm to the environment.
  • Renewable Energy: covers insured loss of income from renewable energy income generated at the premises up to an increased limit of £50k.
  • Debris Removal Recycling: following damage pays for additional costs incurred to sort, segregate and recycle the debris up to a limit of £50k.
  • Provisional Insured Value: where an Insured purchases a property but does not have access to a valuation we will accept the sum insured as provisional and allow return premiums if a valuation finds it to be overstated.
  • Buildings Definition: has been extended to include Solar panels and EV chargers.
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Overheating Risk Analysis report for the UK

 

Our Overheating Risk Analysis report for the UK Green Building Council is published.

Supporting the UKGBC’s work on making buildings in the UK more resilient to climate change, we assessed the overheating risk of six different building types for three climate change scenarios, reflecting global warming projections of 2°C, 3°C and 4°C. We investigated how these global warming projections will impact six representative cities in the UK, and how effective different mitigation measures would be to reduce that overheating risk. We assessed houses, high-rise flats, care homes, healthcare buildings, offices and schools in Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Nottingham and Swindon.

We assessed the impact different designs, window configurations, ventilation strategies and human behaviour changes have on overheating outcomes. Without more adaptation measures the findings showed that many building types will be at extreme risk of overheating in the near future. Investing in climate resilience will be essential for maintaining human health and wellbeing, and without improving resilience there will be significant social and economic implications, for example resulting from reduced productivity.

Read Overheating Risk Analysis

Our overheating analysis showed that for all types of building the most effective passive adaptations actions that reduce risk are reducing solar heat gains, such as using external shading and solar control glass, and increasing ventilation rates with more openable windows.

Without adaptation measures our report shows that houses and flats in England will be at greater risk of overheating than Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, particularly in a high global warming scenario. Our research found that for houses, the size of windows, method of ventilation, size of home and density of occupation have more of an impact on overheating risk than the age of the home. We assessed high-rise residential buildings and found that flats with large areas of south and west facing glazing and insufficient ventilation are particularly at risk.

We found that all care homes in the UK are at generally at high and extreme risk of overheating if no measures are put in place, but passive measures can significantly reduce the risk of overheating. Healthcare buildings are at very high to extreme risk in most regions of the UK, and at highest risk in Southern England in all future warming scenarios. Healthcare buildings with high proportions of glazing, lightweight construction and fewer openable windows put them at higher risk of overheating, as does smaller rooms with higher numbers of occupants.

Non-air-conditioned offices are at extreme risk of overheating with no further mitigation measures in place due to solar heat gains, rising external temperatures and heat from office equipment and other sources. Schools are at medium to extreme risk of overheating if no mitigation measures are put in place, but risks depend on the design and site context. Overheating risk is made worse by the prevalence of restricted window openings, and lack of high level safely openable windows which limit the ability of teachers to purge classrooms of heat gains. Schools also often lack adequate solar shading or green landscaping features than can improve the microclimate and provide additional shading.

Our findings come with some recommendations for industry. Building developers and owners should prioritise implementing passive climate adaptations first, as simple retrofit measures can avoid additional operational carbon emissions and energy costs. If active measures are needed, the most effective strategies are nighttime ventilation and mechanical comfort cooling. Future building regulations should include clearer guidance on safe window openings for public buildings to improve ventilation without impacting people’s safety. Planning authorities and policy makers need to be more demanding on the need for developments to incorporate climate resilience from the outset so that future developments are better protected from climate risks.

This report forms part of the UK Green Building Councils evidence base for the UK Climate Resilience Roadmap, creating a pathway for UK built environment stakeholders to follow to achieve a climate resilient built environment by 2050.

Read the UK Climate Resilience Roadmap

Source: Hoare Lea

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Government ‘Mislead’ the UK’s Ceramics Sector

National trade body rebukes Government for ‘misleading’ the UK’s ceramics sector in Industrial Strategy
The trade body representing UK ceramics manufacturers says the sector has been misled by the Government in its Modern Industrial Strategy.
Ceramics UK says the promises of support for the multi-billion industry in the months leading up to both the Spending Review earlier this month and now the Industrial Strategy have not materialised.
And the association, which represents the interests of manufacturers across all sectors of the industry, says Ministers and MPs have completely misunderstood the fundamental operations of the vital sector.
Rob Flello, Chief Executive of Ceramics UK, said:
“We are deeply disappointed with the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and feel misled.
“Where is the promised support either in the Government’s recent Spending Review or the Industrial Strategy?
“Instead, we have an Industrial Strategy that fails to meaningfully support or understand the UK ceramics sector, despite previous public recognition by Government of its challenges and national importance.
“This represents a missed opportunity to back one of the UK’s most enduring and strategically important manufacturing industries.”
The UK ceramics sector is a world-leader in the production of both traditional and advanced ceramic materials, supporting industries ranging from giftware through to aerospace, defence, construction, clean energy and electronics.
It contributes more than £2 billion directly to the UK economy annually and directly employs approximately 20,000 people as well as enabling tens of thousands of other jobs from advanced manufacturing, through steel and glass workers, to bricklayers and more besides.
Ceramics UK is now urging the Government to take immediate action to rebalance its strategy and ensure critical manufacturing sectors are not left behind.
Rob Flello added:
“We find it incredulous that the Department for Business, the Department for Energy, and the Treasury still do not seem to understand that energy-intensive doesn’t just mean electro-intensive. Ceramics needs help with gas prices.
“Ministers and MPs, including Secretary of State Jonathan Reynolds, have publicly acknowledged that ceramics is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise.
“However, when the Industrial Strategy was released, ceramics was barely mentioned and, even then, the reference failed to recognise that this is a national industry, not a regional footnote.
“Our members have more than 150 operating sites across the UK and the sector is already an essential part of Britain’s industrial future – but we cannot do that if government continues to misunderstand the fundamentals of our industry.”
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Solar confidence shines, but industry trust casts shadow

Faith in solar savings is soaring, but a surge in sloppy installations and poor aftercare could derail the nation’s green progress, warns a new survey from a leading energy firm.

Solar power specialist GreenFox Energy​ has teamed up with Scottish Building Society to unveil findings from its 2025 UK Solar Sentiment Survey, showing a dramatic shift in consumer attitudes. In just three years, UK homeowners have gone from sceptical to convinced about the financial benefits of solar energy but mounting distrust in installers and poor industry standards risk derailing the boom.

The survey, based on responses from over 2,000 UK adults, highlights how consumer priorities have evolved during the past three-year period.

Cost savings trump environmental concern, as 66% of householders now see solar as a major cost-saving opportunity, up 16 points from last year and more than double the enthusiasm seen in 2023.

This rise in positive sentiment toward solar power’s economic benefits is triple the rate of increase in those citing environmental motives, confirming a shift towards saving money is driving solar adoption, more than saving the planet.

Interestingly, greater numbers of people in the North feel solar energy is more cost effective compared to the South. Four out of five users in Yorkshire and Humber report their systems are saving them money. In Greater London, however, only three out of five agreed.

While solar panels are growing in popularity, doubts about installers persist. Latest figures show 15% of solar homeowners still wouldn’t be confident to recommend their fitter, and half say they never received system registration details. Worryingly, as many as one in six installers may be working without proper qualifications.

Although 90% of homeowners say they’d pay for solar maintenance, with most willing to spend over £30 a month, less than 1% actually have a care plan in place, likely due to the lack of availability of such products in the market. With poor after-sales support a common customer experience, experts fear cowboy operators are moving in on the UK’s booming solar market.

Yet there’s reason for optimism. GreenFox Energy sees signs of a maturing market, with consumers increasingly demanding the same professionalism from solar providers that they expect from heating engineers or electricians.

GreenFox Energy Co-founder Eddie Curran said

“The results of this year’s Solar Sentiment Survey mirror what our engineers and customer service teams are hearing from customers every day.

“Solar energy has gone mainstream and is now widely accepted to be the smart choice for homeowners looking to cut energy bills and future-proof their homes as the UK faces into a lower-carbon future. As the market continues to mature, we’d expect to see a continuation of this year’s key trends: increasing positivity about the benefits of solar, but also an increasing gap being called out by customers between the best solar companies and the under qualified opportunists.

“As the market grows customers are becoming more aware of what good looks like and – quite reasonably – have higher expectations around what is a major investment decision. This will translate to a greater focus on skill, quality and provision of lifetime care services as customers more critically assess the market for solar engineers.”

Paul Denton, Chief Executive of Scottish Building Society who are sponsors of the Solar Sentiment survey, added:

“It’s encouraging to see increasing confidence in solar energy as a cost-saving solution for households. However, the findings also underline the importance of addressing gaps in trust and information when it comes to installations.

“As a mortgage provider, we’re willing and ready to lend on all types of home improvements and by improving transparency and support within the industry, we can help homeowners feel more confident in adopting energy-saving technologies and enjoying their long-term benefits.”

Home Solar Energy Sentiment Survey — GreenFox Energy

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Turning Asphalt into a Climate Solution

What if roads could help slow down or even reverse climate change? This bold idea is becoming reality in Northern Germany, where a pioneering pilot project is demonstrating how road construction can become not only more sustainable, but a part of the climate transition. Novocarbo, a leader in carbon removal technologies, has partnered with Hansa Asphalt to bring a new asphalt mix to the road – one that stores carbon long-term while enhancing material performance.

Hamburg/Grevesmühlen, Germany – [June 26, 2025] – Infrastructure and climate action don’t have to be at odds. In an innovative pilot project, Novocarbo GmbH and Hansa Asphalt GmbH have developed an asphalt mix infused with biochar, a carbon-rich material made from plant waste. The test has delivered promising results and may lay the groundwork for future standards in road construction.

“If we succeed in turning road construction into a means of storing carbon, it opens up a whole new perspective for the infrastructure sector,” says Caspar von Ziegner, CEO of Novocarbo. “Biochar can not only ease the burden on the climate but also deliver functional advantages.”

Sustainable Road Construction with Biochar
The pilot took place at the Carbon Removal Park Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Fine-grained biochar (<5 mm) was added at a 3 % ratio to the top layer of asphalt – roughly 7 metric tons in total. The results show several key advantages:

  • Greater material efficiency: same mix volume, more surface coverage
  • Raw material substitution: potential to replace filler materials or even bitumen
  • Permanent carbon storage: Creation of carbon removal credits

Additional analyses, including core sample testing, are underway to examine long-term performance benefits such as:

  • Higher durability: better resistance to temperature fluctuations and aging
  • Improved stability: reduced rutting and increased stiffness

Studies and initial laboratory results support these findings: In suitable mixtures and with the right formulation, biochar increases the viscosity of asphalt binders.

Climate Impact and Carbon Credits
The project captured permanently around 75 kg of CO₂ equivalent per ton of asphalt – adding up to 17.5 tons across the test site. These carbon savings are certified by Novocarbo as Carbon Removal Credits and independently verified. The credits can be sold to companies seeking to offset unavoidable emissions. This combination of technical functionality and climate impact makes biochar a powerful lever for sustainable construction projects.

Next Steps and Perspectives
A commercial launch is scheduled for fall 2025. Meanwhile, Novocarbo is expanding testing and forging new partnerships with construction firms and research institutions. “Our vision is scalable, climate-friendly infrastructure – starting with roads but extending far beyond,” says Caspar von Ziegner.

A Growing Future Market
The global asphalt market is projected to surpass $370 billion by 2032, and pressure to decarbonize is mounting. Biochar could play a key role, if regulatory requirements, such as limits on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are met. Novocarbo ensures compliance through rigorous quality controls and certified biochar products.

About Novocarbo GmbH
Novocarbo is a pioneer in carbon removal and one of Europe’s leading producers of high-quality biochar. At its Carbon Removal Parks, the company transforms plant biomass into biochar through pyrolysis – permanently storing carbon while generating renewable energy. Biochar is used across construction, landscaping, and agriculture.

About Hansa Asphalt GmbH & Co. KG
Established in 1967, Hansa Asphalt is a trusted supplier of high-quality asphalt products. With cutting-edge technology and a growing focus on sustainability, the company serves clients in industry, local government, and the construction sector.

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The UK’s first Carbon Fibre Development Facility

NCC to locate the UK’s first Carbon Fibre Development Facility in North-West England

NCC has today, 25th June 2025, confirmed the initial location of its open-access Carbon Fibre Development Facility. Recognised in the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy and Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, the initiative will support the UK’s strategic growth sectors.

The national innovation asset will be strategically located at technology partner Cygnet Texkimp’s site in Northwich, Cheshire West. The facility will house two digitally-enabled development lines for manufacturing carbon fibre, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). It will act as a critical stepping stone to further develop and industrialise advanced material manufacturing capability in the UK.

Businesses accessing the facility benefit from world-class on-site materials expertise, close collaboration with the North West’s leading chemical and materials cluster, and – facilitated by NCC – the West of England’s leadership in advanced engineering.

 

CLICK TO VIEW THE VIDEO

 

Growing the UK’s sovereign Carbon Fibre production capability fully supports the UK’s Industrial Strategy and foundation industries such as advanced materials, while underpinning next-generation defence, aerospace and energy products. In addition to enabling carbon fibre innovation, the facility will train future generations of chemists and engineers, providing a major step forward in securing UK sovereign supply chains.

Next steps  

Initial testing at the facility is scheduled to start in Autumn 2025, before it becomes fully operational in Spring 2026. NCC helps companies to capitalise on innovations to deliver more at every stage of their journey, across the entire product lifecycle from early concept to end-of-life. We invite industry, supply chain organisations, and RTOs interested in accessing the facility to get in touch to discuss how we can support you.

Please contact carbonfibre@nccuk.com

Richard Oldfield, CEO, NCC, said:  

“Our new Carbon Fibre Development Facility demonstrates NCC’s leadership in advanced material technologies, vital to accelerating the growth and competitiveness of the UK’s growth sectors. We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Cygnet Texkimp to develop this new manufacturing capability for carbon fibre, strategically located to facilitate collaborative partnerships and deliver industrial impact for the UK.”

Luke Vardy, CEO, Cygnet Texkimp, said: 

“We’re extremely pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with NCC and fulfil our long-term ambition to develop this capability within the UK. This facility directly complements our existing fibre processing and recycling capabilities, allowing us to showcase UK advanced materials innovation and manufacturing expertise across the product lifecycle. The opportunity to develop the next generation of British textile machinery and materials engineers in the North of England’s traditional textile manufacturing belt is also a very exciting and fitting prospect.”

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Energy Measurements May Be Flawed

Researchers from Leeds Beckett University have found that a test used to measure the energy efficiency of UK homes may be flawed.

Airtightness ‘blower door’ tests, known as fan pressurisation tests, tell how leaky a home is and therefore how much heat is lost through cracks and gaps around windows, doors and floors and where services penetrate through walls, ceilings and floors.

These tests help determine how energy efficient our homes are and what EPC grade a home gets, as well as checking that it has sufficient ventilation to avoid damp and mould.

The research identified that the test could overestimate air leakage by around 20% in semi-detached and terraced homes, because air is being forced into neighbouring homes, which the test doesn’t account for.

Professor David Glew, Director of the Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University said: “The blower door test is a fantastic tool to check how buildings perform, and we hope our research can help improve the test. The inter-dwelling air exchange we have observed could be quite a serious issue for semi-detached and terraced homes, which may be being penalised as being too draughty, when in reality they are not, and so could be erroneously given a worse rated EPC.

“Also, because the test says these homes are getting more fresh air than they are in reality, there is a risk that they are being assessed as not needing any additional mechanical ventilation, and so they could end up being under ventilated, which might be causing damp and mould issues.

“Our findings raise question marks around current airtightness testing protocols, which is especially problematic as there is so much emphasis on ventilation, energy efficiency and mould now. The standards might need to be revised or adapted to account for this new finding, but we need to understand more about it by doing further tests in more homes. It may be that this affects some house construction types more than others, and we haven’t even started looking at how this affects flats.”

Hundreds of thousands of fan pressurisation tests take place each year, most are undertaken to make sure new homes comply with building regulations, but more and more are used to measure air leakage in older homes before and after retrofits take place, and this new research has implications for millions of tests that have taken place over the last few decades in the UK, as well as those that have been undertaken in other countries.

To learn more, the research article can be found here.

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Attracting Researchers to the UK

A new initiative has been launched to attract and support the relocation of outstanding international researchers and research teams to the UK.

This ambitious investment aims to strengthen the UK’s research capacity and enhance the long-term sustainability of its research ecosystem.

By supporting the movement of global talent, the programme looks to bolster the UK’s already world-renowned research culture and position it at the forefront of international collaboration and innovation.

Welcoming international talent

Awarded as institutional grants, £54 million in funding will be allocated to around 10 UK research organisations.

These organisations will receive funding based on their organisational strengths in:

  • successfully receiving and using competitive international funding
  • recruiting and retaining international researchers

These awards will enable institutions to rapidly recruit and embed international research talent, while providing the necessary resources for long-term programme development.

Commitment to global collaboration

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) International Champion, Professor Christopher Smith, said:

This government-funded initiative sends a powerful message: the UK is open to the world’s best researchers, and we are ready to invest in their success. It will be a complementary part of the broad array of support available across the UK research system from UKRI programmes to Horizon Europe association, National Academy fellowships, and more.

By providing generous financial support, including full relocation and research costs, and using the Global Talent visa as a key enabler, we are creating a welcoming, flexible, and well-resourced environment where international talent can thrive.

This fund is a clear expression of our commitment to global collaboration and to maintaining the UK’s status as a vibrant, inclusive, and highly respected research destination.

Removing significant barriers

Projects are to deliver on Industrial Strategy priority sectors.

The fund will cover 100% of eligible costs, including both relocation and research expenses, with no requirement for match funding.

The initiative also includes full visa costs for researchers and their dependants, removing significant financial and administrative barriers to relocation.

Lord Vallance, UK Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, said:

Scientific excellence so often relies on international collaboration and the Global Talent Fund, will help carefully selected participating institutes with proven track records to attract outstanding researchers from across the globe to the UK’s world class research ecosystem.

By removing practical barriers around relocation challenges and costs, and through the delivery of a raft of new fellowships from both inside and outside of Government, we are making it easier for talented researchers to build their future here and in turn drive groundbreaking discoveries that attract further investment, helping us deliver on our Plan for Change.

Attracting the brightest minds

Awarded organisations are encouraged to form partnerships, at their discretion, with:

  • UK universities
  • public sector research organisations
  • other funders
  • commercial organisations

Over the next five years, this initiative is expected to play a pivotal role in attracting some of the brightest minds from around the world to the UK.

This will significantly boost research capacity across key institutions and lay the groundwork for enduring research and innovation excellence.

Source: UK Research & Innovation

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Key Worker Homes for Southwark

Southwark Council has appointed Bouygues UK as its development partner for the delivery of key worker homes in the borough.

The project will deliver approximately 150 affordable homes for key workers including social workers, teachers, fire-fighters, police and NHS clinical staff, enabling them to live close to their workplace, reducing travel times and offering an improved work-life balance to those providing vital services for their community.

The rent levels will be equivalent to London Living Rent levels, calculated by Ward. The housing will be available to key workers with a combined household annual salary of between £26,000-£67,000 per year

The site, next to the Arnold Estate near Zone 1, with close proximity to London Bridge and Bermondsey stations, will be the first development project under the council’s emerging Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance.

The development includes the delivery of a new community centre, with a large flexible double-height space and a number of smaller support spaces.  The centre will be available for all the community for a range of events, activities and for hire; and the council will be seeking an independent operator to manage the space nearer to the time of opening.

Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development said: “Key workers are the backbone of any community and ensuring that their work is recognised and their lives made easier is the least we can do to repay the efforts they make every day. I’m really excited and proud that we’re going to be delivering around 150 homes for keyworkers in partnership with Bouygues UK.

“Creating affordable housing in London is always a challenge but Southwark Council is dedicated to meeting this challenge head-on as part of our 2030 strategy.  The new homes will contribute positively to recruitment and retention of key workers in our borough, shaping a positive future and making lives better.”

Subject to planning, construction will start around mid-2026 on the new development, with completion targeted for 2029.

Oliver Campbell, MD of Bouygues UK’s development arm said: “We are thrilled to have been selected by Southwark Council as the development partner for this landmark scheme in SE1. Building on our successful collaboration on several projects, including the Tustin Estate scheme where we are delivering nearly 700 new homes, we value our strong partnership with the council.

“Providing affordable housing for keyworkers is a vital step in supporting those who are indispensable to the wellbeing of the community. This project represents an exciting opportunity to further our collaboration and make a lasting contribution to the future of Southwark, and we eagerly anticipate bringing this vision to fruition. Construction will progress at pace, ensuring that these much-needed facilities are delivered promptly and to the highest standards.”

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