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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Government urged to delay VAT changes to avoid disruption

The Government has not properly prepared the construction industry for major VAT changes coming in October and needs to delay their implementation to avoid chaos, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said in a letter to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

New data published by the FMB shows that:

  • Over two-thirds of construction SMEs (69%) have not even heard of reverse charge VAT; and
  • Of those who have, more than two-thirds (67%) have not prepared for the changes

This comes after HMRC published guidance on reverse charge VAT just four months before the changes were due to come into place. This has been criticised for being inaccessible to most in the industry and is even contradictory in places. HMRC was also due to have a dedicated website and marketing campaign for the changes to help prepare the hundreds of thousands construction companies who will be impacted by the changes.

Reverse charge VAT will have a serious impact on cash flow, as well as being a significant administrative burden, fundamentally changing the way construction companies invoice their clients and pay their taxes to HMRC.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “Construction companies are already struggling with Brexit uncertainty, sky-rocketing material price rises and skill shortages and reverse charge VAT is yet another thing for them to deal with. What makes things worse is that HMRC has failed to deliver on its promise to help the industry to prepare. The guidance is not user-friendly and even tax experts are scratching their heads over it.”

“It’s therefore not surprising that the vast majority of construction SMEs are not aware of the impending changes, despite widespread promotion by the FMB. Small business owners are busy people and clearly they don’t have time to read everything we send them. For those who are aware, they haven’t had a chance to change their systems yet as they were waiting for guidance to be published that has only just emerged. That’s why we are calling on the Government to delay the changes by another six months and to use the extra time to improve the guidance and work with us to undertake a more intensive communications campaign. HMRC should also consider holding workshops across the country to explain the changes.”

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Plan To Build 10 Offshore Wind Power Hubs In North Sea Deemed Feasible

by Steve Hanley

The North Sea Wind Power Hub program — a consortium consisting of European energy companies  TenneT, Energinet, and Gasunie together with the Port of Rotterdam — is seen as a way for the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Norway, Germany, and Denmark to meet their goals for decarbonizing their economies as agreed to in the Paris climate accords in 2015. After extensive studies and in consultation with all appropriate government stakeholders, NSWPH has announced that its plan for up to 10 offshore wind energy hubs is technically feasible

The consortium says its goal is to “generate energy from renewable sources while simultaneously realizing the same at the lowest possible environmental impact and cost.”

“In the future (after 2030), once large, far-offshore wind regions have been defined for development, it will be possible to develop several hubs that will act as central platforms for supporting the infrastructure required to transport the energy, e.g. for converting electricity into gas (including and in particular green hydrogen) instead of using the offshore converter platforms commonly used at the moment.

“The relevant wind power capacities in question range from 70 to 150 gigawatts by the year 2040 and up to 180 gigawatts by 2045 in the North Sea and are intended to be developed using a modular, gradual approach. Depending on the scope of the development, the NSWPH could lay the foundation for supplying hundreds of millions of Europeans with green energy.”

According to an article by Marine Executive, the three types of foundations that could be used for the hubs are:

  • Sand island for 12, 24, or 36 GW installations with an approximate construction time of eight years
  •  Caisson island in shallow waters for up to 6 GW capacity with estimated construction time of three years
  • Platforms that use a jacket or gravity-based structure with an approximate construction time of three years

While island-based foundations can reduce investment costs and enable larger scale interconnection hubs at lower costs, the smaller platforms can reduce environmental impact, planning risk, and construction timelines.

Getting Power To The Shore

The first hub and spoke project will likely be connected to the shore using undersea cables, but for larger hubs located further offshore in deeper water may use the electricity generated to create hydrogen gas which would then be shipped ashore.

For any given hub size, the total investment costs for the transmission assets were found to be similar for all-electric, all-hydrogen, and combined electricity and hydrogen configurations. Also, the spatial requirements are similar for the different configurations.

The fact that the plan is feasible does not guarantee it will become a reality, of course. But it does mean energy companies in Europe are thinking in terms of lowering carbon emissions in the electrical sector, a vital part of meeting the objectives of the Paris climate accords.

 

Source: Cleantechnica

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Right-to-buy scheme soon to turn 40

Since its inception, the right-to-buy scheme has been a great topic of debate in the UK. As we approach the election this week the controversial scheme is once again the subject on everybody’s lips. Buildingspecifier.com Editor Joe Bradbury discusses how right-to-buy has affected Britain – for better or worse.

Over 2 million people have bought their home from the British stock of social housing since it was introduced in 1980. This is seen as both good and bad news, dependant on which side of the fence you are viewing it from.  On the plus side, it has helped millions of people to make that first tentative step onto the property ladder. However, it has also massively depleted the social housing stock, resulting in a housing shortage and spiralling property costs which has thrown the housing industry into chaos.

In England the current government staunchly defends the general principle of the right-to-buy scheme and plan to continue it, should they be successful at the ballot boxes this Thursday. In stark comparison, Scotland recently abolished the right-to-buy scheme, which illustrates just how much the right-to-buy has divided the UK on opinion in the space of 40 years.

Right-to-buy ended for all council and housing association tenants in Scotland as a result of the Scottish Housing Bill which was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 25th June in 2014 and became an Act when it received Royal Assent on 1st August of that year. The SNP are even buying back council housing from people who have purchased their home under the scheme, in a bid to undo some of the damage that has been done.

So what has the right-to-buy scheme actually done for Britain over its rocky 40 year history?

It increased house ownership

In the 1980’s, right to buy encouraged more people to buy their homes throughout the UK. We are now experiencing a paradigm shift as house prices soar out of reach for many first-time buyers. Despite it now seemingly resulting in the exact opposite, home ownership increased exponentially in the 80’s, proving that at least for a short time, it worked!

It boosted renting in the UK

As potential first-time buyers now struggle to raise enough money to cover a deposit for a house or earn enough to cover the mortgage, the idea of home ownership has sadly become a pipedream for many. The only other option available for people who wish to move out of their parents’ home is to rent, which consequently has resulted in a large boost in the buy-to-let section of the housing market – true Thatcherism at play!

Housing shortage/crisis

There is now undoubtedly a shortage of council-owned social housing across the UK, replaced instead with privately owned “affordable housing,” which can, at times, be a contradiction in terms. In order to be classed as affordable, housing associations can charge up to 80% of the local market rental costs. In London, where the rents are frankly staggering, this means that the affordable housing that has replaced the social housing is equally as unobtainable for people who have always lived in the area as the very concept of buying a house. This is not the purpose of social housing and this is where the right-to-buy has failed – spectacularly.

In summary

It seems that in the short term the right-to-buy scheme was highly profitable for many. However, as time passes it has raised further issues that have only been realised with the benefit of hindsight. These issues have plunged the housing market into disarray, suggesting that what worked in the 80’s certainly isn’t working now.

The policy most certainly encouraged its primary objective of increasing home ownership throughout Britain but has ultimately resulted in increased demand for private rental properties; the exact opposite of what it initially intended to achieve. Increasing investment in the buy-to-let market has pushed prices out of the reach of many first-time buyers, creating a self-perpetuating state of crisis. A place to call home shouldn’t be an unobtainable dream; it is a fundamental right for everybody.In conclusion, right-to-buy is littered with hypocrisies and contradictions that have undermined and devalued what was once considered a good idea. If whoever wins the election intends to continue the right-to-buy scheme, many issues would need to be addressed urgently and it would need to be rebranded if it stands any chance of regaining the trust of an injured property market. We can forgive, but we can never forget.

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Visqueen keeps methane at bay

A water pumping station built to provide a vital back-up supply for Birmingham is being protected from an ingress of potentially deadly methane by Ultimate GeoSeal, the waterproofing and gas protection system from Visqueen.

The station at Lickhill near Kidderminster draws water from the River Severn which is then pumped over 16 miles to Frankley treatment works, south of the city.

It was commissioned by Severn Trent Water so that the Elan Valley aqueduct that normally supplies Birmingham could be closed for annual maintenance, and also to provide an alternative water source in an emergency.

The Lickhill station is in an area where methane in the ground was a concern and, as a consequence, the project was classified as a Characteristic Situation 2.

James Walsh, Technical Support Manager for Visqueen, explained that coming up with a suitable gas protection and waterproofing solution for such a challenging scheme involved more than just specifying the right product. It also required a high level of technical knowledge and design expertise.

“While having an in-depth understanding of the industry guidance and regulations is essential, it also requires an understanding of construction methods and build sequencing, and being able to offer a professional judgement that can only be gained from experience,” he said.

“Stopping harmful gases and contaminants from entering a building is a human health issue, and, therefore, the Visqueen technical team had a massive responsibility to ensure the building and its occupiers are safe.”

The design team was mindful of the Abbeystead disaster in 1984, when methane ignited at the Lancashire hamlet’s water pumping station, leading to the deaths of 16 people. Industry guidance and regulations have been written since then to support gas protection designers when designing such schemes.

Visqueen Ultimate GeoSeal is a pre-applied membrane and for Lickhill it was used not only for its gas resistant properties but also for waterproofing, as the 16-metre deep main pumping station shaft passes through the water table, also known as the saturated zone.

The membrane was applied to the piles extending 18m below ground level and also to the 12-metre diameter base of the shaft.

James added: “Robustness is also of key importance for demanding civil applications such as this as the membrane, which is twice the thickness of competitor products, must remain intact for the lifetime of the structure.”

Visqueen Ultimate VOC Blok, a flexible membrane suitable for brownfield applications which forms a barrier to volatile organic compounds and ground gases, was applied below the concrete slab and pre-cast planks of a number of support buildings.

Positioned at ground level, the specification for these buildings also required an under-slab ventilation system to exhaust and disburse to atmosphere any harmful gases present under the building. This was achieved with a full vent blanket using Visqueen Gas Vent Matting and Pro Gas Vent Boxes.

The main contractor on the project was Barhale plc, with Nicholas O’Dwyer the engineering and environmental consultant and Prestige Air Technology the installer. Independent verification in accordance with CIRIA C735 was by ASL Environmental.For further information on gas prevention and waterproofing solutions, or to arrange a CPD presentation, or to attend a gas protection workshop, visit www.visqueen.com.

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