Flood Risks – Only 3% of Britains Rivers Free of Artificial Barriers

Existing river barrier databases considerably underestimate the number of barriers – including dams – that could be causing issues in areas of the UK, expert Sergio Vallesi from Durham University Business School warns in the wake of events like Whaley Bridge, where a nearby dam at risk of collapse led to mass evacuation.

Vallesi is researching how barriers like dams have disrupted the water’s natural flow and are risking the peaceful lives of neighbouring communities.

“Most people don’t realise only 3% of rivers in the UK are free-flowing,” says Vallesi.

“In fact, the majority of rivers and streams in Europe are fragmented – only a small portion are free of artificial barriers – and while the environmental and socio-economic impacts of large dams on European rivers has been widely researched, what is less studied is the collective impact of the thousands of artificial barriers, including large and small dams, weirs, fords, sluices and culverts, resulting in systematic river fragmentation and loss of connectivity.”

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This extensive fragmentation of rivers through artificial barriers has a considerable impact on the local area, mainly negative for the communities that live in flood plains.

Vallesi and fellow researchers are now developing methods and tools to access cost and benefits of river infrastructures, to determine the potential successes and drawbacks from restoring connectivity in European rivers and streams.

Their approach would also allow communities to screen if a barrier is having an impact – or going to have an impact – in that area.

If successful, it will help decision makers to develop barrier adaptation strategies, implement migration measures, and monitor the success of river restoration projects that remove artificial barriers.

Further results will be published from the researchers at Durham University Business School in a report from AMBER (Adaptive Management of Barriers in European Rivers), an EU funded £6.2 million project.

 

 

For more information or to speak to Sergio Vallesi, contact Stephanie Mullins at BlueSky PR on smullins@bluesky-pr.com or call +44 (0)1582 790 706.

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Fracking – The Fears and Hopefully the Facts

People living in Formby are worried about the ‘health of the community’ as plans for fracking just a mile away moved another step forward.

Energy company Aurora have submitted plans to frack for shale gas at Great Altcar, a mile from Formby and a few miles from Ainsdale, Hightown and Lydiate.

Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, has been the focus of considerable controversy in the past 12 months, after a number of earthquakes around the UK’s only active site, near Blackpool.

If approved, fracking will go ahead just outside of Formby

Many people claim as well as the tremor risks, the technique can cause air, noise and groundwater pollution.

Aurora is currently seeking permission to construct a fracking site in West Lancashire – just 900 metres from the historic Formby Oilfield.

 

THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

 

The Royal Society review of hydraulic fracturing

Public Health England has assessed the risk to human health of extracting shale gas. They evaluated available evidence on issues including air quality, radon gas, naturally occurring radioactive materials, water contamination and waste water. They concluded that “the risks to public health from exposure to emissions from shale gas extraction are low if operations are properly run and regulated.”

 

Public Health England report

In September 2013 Professor David MacKay (the then Department of Energy and Climate Change’s Chief Scientist) and Dr Timothy Stone wrote a report on potential greenhouse gas emissions from UK produced shale gas. They concluded that the overall effect of UK shale gas production on national emissions is likely, with the right safeguards, to be relatively small. Indeed emissions from the production and transport of UK shale gas would be comparable to imported Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and much lower than coal, when both are used to generate electricity.

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Report on potential greenhouse gas emissions from UK produced shale gas

BEIS factsheet 2: Shale gas and climate change

BEIS currently grant-funds a research consortium led by the British Geological Survey to deliver a baseline environmental monitoring programme in and around sites in the Fylde (Lancashire) and Kirby Misperton (North Yorkshire), where 2 exploration shale sites are based. The researchers are gathering data on features including water and air quality, seismicity and ground motion. Data gathering began in the Fylde in January 2015 and in Kirby Misperton in August 2015.

This monitoring will gather data for the environmental baseline in the areas prior to any hydraulic fracturing processes. Future shale gas projects’ data can be checked against these baseline data. This allows any significant changes to be flagged for further scrutiny. The investigations are independent of any monitoring carried out by the industry or the regulators, and information collected is freely available to the public.

 

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From Glass to Concrete – and no waste

Thanks to scientists based in South Yorkshire and 27 European partners working together on a £9million project, glass is helping to build a new highway to sustainability.

Researchers at Glass Technology Services, and its sister company British Glass which represents the UK’s £1.6bn glass manufacturing sector, are leading on the glass element of a project which aims to work out ways to completely recycle – or close the loop – on all types of waste from the construction industry including glass, wood, ceramics, plastic and rubber.

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Together with the construction company Acciona and other industry and research partners in Spain (Tecnalia), Turkey (TCMA) and Sweden (RISE CBI), they have shown that glass construction waste can be transformed into valuable reusable raw materials. One application blends finely ground waste glass – which cannot be reused in a glass furnace – with other industrial waste to produce an ‘eco cement’.

Eco cement has been used to build roads and made into pre-cast concrete blocks and other shapes for building homes and roads.

Using waste materials such as the finely ground glass has multiple benefits, improving the performance of the cement, reducing the energy requirements of cement manufacturing, and preventing waste materials from ending up in landfill. Currently the EU produces 1.5million tonnes of architectural glass waste annually. Less than a third is recycled: the rest either goes to landfill or is used as backfill on construction sites.

Chris Holcroft, senior technologist and technology development lead for Glass Technology Services, said: “This is an exciting project with a huge amount of potential for sustainable building. The more glass we can save from landfill the better it is for the environment.”

In this project Glass Technology Services specialised in early work looking at the available materials, while the partner teams then successfully demonstrated the new cement production in a laboratory, in a pilot study, and on an industrial scale. The finished products are now being tested at a number of case study sites.

This activity is part of the FISSAC project funded by the EU’s H2020 programme. FISSAC stands for  ‘Fostering Industrial Symbiosis For a Sustainable Resource Intensive Industry Across the Extended Construction Value Chain’.

FISSAC, a group of stakeholders at all levels of the construction and demolition value chain, is developing a pioneering approach to bringing industries to work together to avoid waste – known as industrial symbiosis. Glass Technology Services and British Glass are key members of FISSAC.

FISSAC is currently building a software tool which shows where waste construction material is available, what type, and the environmental impact of possible ways of reusing it. The database will help cut costs for manufacturers, support them in complying with environmental regulations, encourage cross-sector resource efficiency, and help the industry with cleaner production strategies.

 

Glass Technology Services Website

British Glass Website

 

 

 

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The Immigration wrangle – is Boris clouding the skills shortage issue

The topic of immigration has dominated the Brexit discussion so far and, as an industry which relies so heavily on EU labour, the construction sector is feeling the pressure

The UK is still locked into negotiations with the EU and the arrival of a new prime minister has magnified the concerns of those in the sector. Keen to establish himself and his policies as he takes up his new position, Boris Johnson has backtracked on some of Theresa May’s more strict post-Brexit immigration plans.

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The UK is on the brink of a brave new world when it comes to immigration, and whilst Johnson has scrapped May’s pledge to slash immigration numbers to tens of thousands and instead looks to introduce a points-based system, his approach is casting doubts over the government’s existing immigration bill.

Immigration restrictions post-Brexit

Whilst on the face of it, Johnson’s plans are more liberal than May’s, the devil really is in the detail when it comes to weighing up the UKs post-2021 options. What is clear, however, is that the new prime minister plans to impose some new immigration restrictions post-Brexit, which could have potentially devastating consequences for the UK, particularly London, as its economy is so reliant on free movement. So, until the full scope of the plans are unveiled, the construction industry will be unable to effectively plan for its future.

Whilst a number of sectors could be hit hard by new restrictions on EU migrant labour, the construction industry, which is already in the midst of an extended skills shortage, needs to prepare for impact. With high living costs (in London, in particular) and a falling pound, the pull to the UK is not as strong as it once was for EU workers. Putting hurdles in place to reduce free movement to the UK is only going to turn the skills shortage into potential skills gulf within the industry.

For a country with many ambitious construction projects underway, a lack of available workers could prove highly detrimental to the UK’s development plans. The Construction Industry Training Board estimates that the sector will need to recruit and train 31,600 workers every year for the next three years to keep up with demand. But the number of apprentices entering into construction falls very significantly short of this, meaning urgent action needs to be taken. However, it appears that the industry is trailing behind.

Worker retention in construction

To ensure that talent is preserved, a dialogue needs to begin around the urgency of worker retention. As it stands, Boris Johnson appears to be supporting an amnesty for the approximate 500,000 existing migrants without documentation in the UK. In addition to this, the Migration Advisory Committee is currently reviewing (in a 12-month-long process) the £30,000 salary threshold required to qualify as a ‘skilled worker’, the current suggestion being to lower it to £21,000. Further proposals include offering a fast-track system of providing visas to people with the skills needed to bridge the UK skills gap.

Whilst these policies seem more liberal on the surface, there has been talk that the Prime Minister is keen to adopt an Australian-style points-based system, selecting only the most skilled migrant workers.  Such a system would undoubtedly contribute towards UK employment issues, with many businesses, particularly those operating in the construction sector, struggling to recruit and retain their core workforce.

Recent industry reports have suggested that 21% of construction companies have laid off staff since the previous quarter, becoming increasingly reliant on subcontractors to carry out work. If this continues, there are worries that build quality across the UK could suffer as a result of this. To help mitigate this, construction companies must ensure that they undertake the appropriate due diligence in respect of their subcontract supply chain and look to establish good working relationships with reputable subcontractors, to avoid issues with quality control.

The Federation of Master Builders has also recently warned that a no-deal Brexit ‘could lead to reputation-damaging mistakes’, also stating that ‘the construction industry has always used a significant proportion of subbies [sic] but the fact that direct employment is decreasing, points to Brexit nerves among construction bosses.’

Brexit and the housing crisis

The wider impact on the construction industry is likely to worsen the current housing crisis. For example, the Government’s target to build 300,000 homes a year would become even more difficult with a reduced workforce.

Such ambitious targets would prove nigh on impossible to achieve without the development of innovative industry methods and technology, for example, investing in modern methods of construction. This would mean less pressure on construction companies to hire so many staff and whilst the UK is still figuring out how the new immigration regime will function, this could go some way to help in mitigating the impact of the skills shortage – at least in the context of residential development. As well as people, a restriction on free movement of goods post-Brexit could also put pressure on construction companies.

Preparing for a post-Brexit world

If they haven’t already done so, taking stock now and reviewing goods procurement strategies is key for construction companies. By assessing how reliant the business is on materials from the EU, they can then begin to forecast and where prudent to do so, take measures to stockpile, avoiding disruption to projects from limits on supply. Some larger companies have already started buying up their own plant-making facilities in view of Brexit and the subsequent changes to movement of goods and services that will follow. Regardless of business size, forecasting is key, as well as ensuring that necessary funds are in place to facilitate stockpiling.

Businesses which have not taken steps to prepare for the post-Brexit world should take advantage of the extension and start planning – and acting – now. It is vital for employers in the construction sector to be aware of the options available to them for sourcing and protecting talent, as well as materials.

As the new prime minister, Boris Johnson must recognise the positive impact that immigration and freedom of movement has on the UK and establish a clear position as soon as possible. It is crucial that he takes steps to ensure that the UK can get on with business as usual, pre and post-Brexit. Confident decision making is needed to free the UK from its current political deadlock so that the construction industry can continue to thrive, now and in the future.

 

Kate Onions

 

Source: PBC Today

 

 

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England still lags behind other countries in building safety, warns experts

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The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published its response to the government’s Building a Safer Future consultation, which proposes reforms to England’s current building safety regulations.

The RIBA called for a complete overhaul of the building regulations in the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and welcomes many of the proposals, in particular tighter regulation of higher risk residential buildings of 18m or more in height (rather than 30m plus which was originally recommended by the Government’s 2018 Independent Review of Building Regulations on Fire Safety).

However, the institute is concerned that England still lags behind other countries, including Wales and Scotland, in putting in place base line regulatory standards to ensure that high rise and other higher risk buildings are safe for the public. The institute urges the Government to:

  • widen the scope of the new regulatory system to apply to non-residential buildings – the new building regulatory system should apply to other higher risk non-residential buildings at any height, including places where vulnerable people sleep, such as care homes, hospitals, hotels, hostels, prisons, as well as schools and places of assembly, during the design and construction phase.
  • make significant changes to the responsibilities for all dutyholders – dutyholders based on the Construction (Design and Management) regulations model are essential. However, the duties proposed are not clearly defined and are not currently workable as set out in the consultation, particularly on design and build projects.
  • designate the Architect’s Registration Board (ARB) to oversee enhanced competence requirements of architects – as regulator the ARB should be responsible for the accreditation and licensing of architectural qualifying bodies, including the RIBA, who will hold registers for competent architects to work on buildings in scope of the proposed regulatory framework.
  • ensure all technical guidance issued to industry is improved by the new Building Safety Regulator –this should include setting baseline prescriptive requirements for fire safety and reviewing all relevant British Standards guidance documents, particularly those relevant to fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings.

Jane Duncan, Chair of the RIBA Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety, said “Although a step in the right direction, the government’s proposals do not go far enough to protect the public and more work is needed, particularly to more clearly define the statutory duties of all involved in the industry. There have been many failings in England’s building safety regulations, exposed by the Grenfell tragedy two years ago, but we hope the government will act on their commitment post-Grenfell to ensure residents are safe, and feel safe, in their homes.”

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Analysis indicates UK construction activity is moving out of the capital

The value of all construction contract awards in June 2019 was £5.2 billion based on a three-month rolling average, which is an increase of 5.5% on May. Regional analysis shows that the North West was the leading region for contract awards in June with a 36.6% value share.

Barbour ABI

The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI highlights levels of construction contract values awarded across Great Britain. The overall outlook for June contract awards increased by 5.5% on May 2019. The infrastructure sector accounted for 37.2% of total value of contract awards, due to the SPRS. Construction Programme at the Sellafield Site – valued at £1.5 billion, which boosted the North West’s project share.

Barbour ABI

London dominated in only two of the eight sectors for June 2019 – residential with a 26.2% share and commercial & retail with a 23.7% share of total contract awards. Construction activity has moved out of the capital for June, with a more even spread of contract awards across the UK. The East Midlands dominated the industrial sector, largely due to investment in warehousing and storage. The South West took the top spot for hotel, leisure & sport and Scotland took the lion’s share of projects in the medical & health and education sectors.

Commenting on the figures, Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI said “London has dominated project awards every month in 2019. However, for the first time this year, we see a shift in the spread of project awards across the country. Likewise, for the first time this year, we see infrastructure investment overtake the residential sector which has been the most active sector of construction for over 6 months.”

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Is permitted development a risk to health and wellbeing?

Councils across England are warning that homes created using permitted development rights are a potential threat to people’s health and wellbeing, with the most vulnerable people in society being more at risk.

A new report ‘Housing for a fairer society: The role of councils in ensuring stronger communities’ has found that:

  • Half of councils in England think permitted development housing could threaten people’s health and wellbeing
  • Half of councils in England think vulnerable people are disproportionately negatively affected by permitted development
  • Demand for affordable housing has remained unchanged for four consecutive years, with 59% of UK councils reporting ‘severe’ shortages
  • The findings, published in a report by APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) and written by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), show that local authorities across
  • the UK are reporting ‘severe’ shortages of affordable housing for the fourth consecutive year, with only 2% claiming their need is ‘not substantial’

Further, three quarters of councils in England and Wales said they rely on developer contributions as their main source of income for delivering affordable housing, calling into question the efficacy of the government’s market-led approach to housing delivery.

Paul O’Brien, Chief Executive of APSE, said “It is ironic that as we celebrate a 100 years since the advent of council housing, and the ‘Addison Act’ standards on space and public amenities that were so innovative and important to the health and wellbeing of communities we are now witnessing a serious regression of these protections.

“Permitted developments are in danger of becoming the new slum housing of the 21st century, de facto permitting a dangerous slide into deregulated and ultimately damaging housing provision.”

Fiona Howie, Chief Executive of the TCPA added “Local authorities have a powerful role in shaping existing and new places that can enhance people’s health and wellbeing, but it is essential that they have the tools they need. This report highlights there is still much to be done to enable local authorities to deliver the affordable houses people so desperately need.”

Among the report’s recommendations is the suspension of the right to buy in England, the reinstatement of a definition of affordable housing which links affordability to income and the adoption of ‘community benefit clauses’ in planning policy to ensure that local authorities consistently maximise the wider benefits of the construction and development process.

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New Prime Minister must stimulate construction and house building

Construction leaders are calling on the new Prime Minister to intervene as construction output flatlines for the benefit of the wider economy as the latest statistics show that the sector is flatlining, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Commenting on the latest construction output statistics from the Office for National Statistics, which show that construction output growth in Great Britain was flat (0.0%) in the three-month on three-months to May 2019, Sarah McMonagle, Director of Communications at the FMB, said “Alarm bells will be ringing in the ears of the two candidates vying to be Prime Minister, with these latest stats showing that the construction sector is at a standstill. Whoever wins the race for PM, I want to see that person take decisive action in their first days in office by intervening to stimulate our waning sector, which is so vital to the health of the wider economy. Indeed, without it, our country’s house building aspirations will be impossible to deliver.”

“The poor performance of the construction sector over the past few months was driven partly by a drop in activity in the repair and maintenance sector. As you would expect, this part of the construction industry is particularly vulnerable to dips in consumer confidence, which the threat of a ‘no deal’ Brexit continues to perpetuate. There would be no better way to encourage homeowners to commission building projects in the second half of this year than by slashing VAT on housing repair, maintenance and improvement from 20 percent to 5 per cent. Furthermore, when we asked our members how the next PM could best prevent an economic downturn, almost 90 per cent felt this was the most effective way to achieve it.”

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), added “Boris the builder must build columns instead of writing them if he is to fix the housing crisis and restore the hope of home ownership to a generation. We will only reach the number of good quality homes we need, and at the rate we need them, if local house builders are freed up to build as many homes as the large house builders. We want to see Boris bring down the barriers facing construction SMEs, including those who repair and maintain our homes. If Boris is looking to cut taxes, then we suggest slashing VAT on home improvement works, as nine in ten builders believe this is the single best tool in Boris the builder’s toolkit to prevent an economic downturn post-Brexit. Bojo must restore the housing market’s mojo to ensure that Brexit Britain is built on strong foundations.”

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Homeless families now outnumber new social homes by 8 to 1

Analysis of the latest homelessness statistics by the National Housing Federation has found that for every one new social home built in England, eight families are accepted as homeless by their local council.

Government figures show that 42,810 families were accepted as homeless in England last year, 117 families every day, with more than two thirds of these single parents.

In comparison only 5,385 new social rent homes were built in the same period – equivalent to 14 per day.

Ten years ago, five more new homes for social rent were built every day than families accepted as homeless.

These homes are typically 50% of market rent and are therefore the most affordable and secure type of housing for these families.

Since councils have a legal duty to house children, homeless families are often housed in temporary accommodation. New National Housing Federation analysis has also found the number of children living in temporary accommodation has risen by 81% since its low point in June 2011, from 68,770 to 124,490 children. At the current rate of house building, it is likely to reach the highest ever recorded by 2022.

When social rent funding was halted in 2010, the number of new social homes being built plummeted. This has put a massive strain on available social housing, with increasing numbers of low income families left with no possible means of accessing a secure and affordable home. This has contributed to many more families ending up in temporary accommodation and staying there for longer.

In 2018 the government made its first commitment in ten years to building homes for social rent, but at £2bn this was only intended to build 25,000 homes over five years. Research by the National Housing Federation shows that England needs as many as 90,000 new social rent homes every year to house those most in need, including homeless families and those on waiting lists. This is over 17 times the number currently being built.

The National Housing Federation is calling on the government to invest serious amounts of money over the long term in building more social housing and to use the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review to do this.

Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation said “The shocking disparity between the number of families made homeless every day and new social homes being built, puts into stark perspective how far away we are from meeting our housing need.

“Homeless families are just the tip of the iceberg, there are thousands more in equally desperate need, living in severe poverty, overcrowding and unable to afford their rent. This is having a lasting and detrimental effect on hundreds of thousands of children affecting their mental and physical health.

“This should be a massive wake up call for the government to take urgent action to increase the number of social homes being built every year, and commit significantly more funding for social housing in the next Government Spending Review.”

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Households on Low-income to be guaranteed trusted tradesmen

Home energy improvements which cut emissions and bills for over 300,000 low-income families every year will only be done by trusted tradesmen, under new government plans.

The government’s new quality scheme, delivered by ‘TrustMark’, will increase protection for low-income and vulnerable households, helped with free energy-saving measures like insulation and new boilers, under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

Emissions from buildings account for nearly 25% of overall carbon emissions, which the government is committed to reducing. Just weeks ago, the UK became the first G7 economy to put into law a commitment that Britain will reach net zero greenhouse gas emission economy by 2050.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Chris Skidmore, said “Driving up the energy efficiency of Britain’s homes is key to us reducing emissions from households, saving people money on their bills as we legislate to become a net zero emissions economy and end our contribution to global warming entirely.

“This new scheme will guarantee low-income households the peace of mind that workmen installing energy efficiency measures in their homes are trusted tradesmen.”

Around 15% of households take an energy efficiency measure each year, with over one million installing additional or replacement loft insulation and over one million upgrading to double glazed windows.

The new ‘Each Home Counts’ quality mark will help reassure households having work done on their homes that the companies have met the appropriate standards for installing insulation and new central heating systems in their homes.

Consumers who want energy efficiency measures installed on their own homes will be able to search the TrustMark website for trusted and certified tradesmen, checking their installers are recognised before they start work on their homes.

The new mark builds on the well-established government-endorsed ‘TrustMark’ scheme, which vets businesses. It ensures they meet industry standards, have good technical competence and trading practices, and have a commitment to providing good customer service.

Customers can already access free and impartial advice on reducing their energy bills, making their homes warmer and planning green home improvements from Simple Energy Advice.

Energy efficiency industry is worth £20.3 billion in Great Britain, employing nearly 150,000 and selling exports worth over £1 billion every year.

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