Archive for category: General News

Birse Community Trust will receive over £74,000 from Historic Environment Scotland to conserve and reopen the 125-year-old building

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has awarded Birse Community Trust grant funding to conserve and reopen The Souter’s Shop in Birse, a purpose-built shoemaker’s shop left largely untouched for over half a century and the only surviving example of its kind.

Opened in 1897, the Souter’s Shop was run by local shoemaker James Merchant and his son until the 1940s. After business ceased, the shop lay completely undisturbed for 60 years, its tools, ledgers and fittings frozen in time. When it was rediscovered in 1999, it provided a rare window to another time, a piece of built heritage telling the story of a rural craftsperson and how small-scale industries operated at the time.

Birse Community Trust has been awarded £74,500 from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) through the Historic Environment Grants (HEG) Programme to repair and conserve the fabric of the shop. Repairs are needed on the roof, timber, chimney and the joinery glazing, and the interior will also be opened to visitors on site and across the globe with a virtual exhibition and online tour. Funding will also support traditional skills training, ensuring that the shop’s features are restored using techniques similar to those employed when originally built.

Listed as a category A building in 2000, the Souter’s Shop is recognised as nationally significant and the only known example of its kind in Scotland. The building and its contents show a world before commercial, mass-produced shoemaking became prevalent, and the Birse Community Trust plan to use the building to explain the historic shoemaking tradition and its place in rural industry. Remarkably, even the shop’s business ledgers have survived, giving insight into the role of the shop as well as the surrounding communities.

Dr Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at HES, said:

“The Souter’s Shop in Birse is a fascinating building with an important story to tell. We are excited to support the Trust’s efforts to unlock this story with the community and the wider public.

“Our historic environment is one of Scotland’s greatest assets, but it needs care, investment and collaboration to thrive. Our grants programmes are available to help communities unlock the history, knowledge and progress that is embodied in the built heritage around them.”

Toni Watt, Manager at Birse Community Trust, said:

“BCT are absolutely delighted to receive such generous funding from Historic Environment Scotland. This grant together with support from other funders and from many individuals means that we are able to start work to save the Souter’s Workshop and Shop. It is such a special place. To enter the Souter’s feels like you are stepping back in time. It is a window into a now disappeared way of life, showcasing the life of a souter and his role in rural society.

“At one time every settlement would have had a Souter; our visitors tell us about grandparents who were souters, but in a few more generations this tradition will be lost from memory. History, oral history and saving the rural architecture where this history takes place matters so much.”

Work is now starting to train volunteers to pack and decant the collection of artefacts in the Souter’s Shop, as well as basic conservation work. Repair works on the building will begin in spring 2026.

In a major win for housebuilding in the region, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has announced an additional £20 million to expand the Brownfield Housing Fund.

The extra government funding has been confirmed ahead of a meeting of the full West Yorkshire Combined Authority this Thursday 16 October.

It reflects the strong performance of the region’s Brownfield Housing Fund to date, and has been welcomed by the Mayor as a major vote of confidence in West Yorkshire’s ambitious pipeline of regeneration schemes. This will help to accelerate the delivery of homes across the region.

The now £110 million fund, which sees the Combined Authority work with the private sector, local authorities and housing associations to unlock new developments, is already fully allocated and on track to exceed its original target for homes started on-site.

As a result of the uplift, construction of hundreds of additional homes will start by March 2029, taking the programme’s overall figure to over 6,000 homes.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“Everyone deserves a safe and secure roof over their head, and this extra funding is a strong vote of confidence in our housebuilding success.

“By regenerating brownfield land first, we’re building the right homes in the right places – affordable, cheaper-to-heat and better-connected – all while protecting our vital green spaces.

“Devolution is working for West Yorkshire, empowering us to deliver record numbers of affordable homes, to give people the security that can only start with a decent home.”

The positive announcement follows the selection of Leeds South Bank by the government as one of the most promising locations for a “new town” – a move expected to help unlock at least 10,000 new homes as part of the South Bank masterplan.

The region’s wider pipeline of projects includes flagship regeneration schemes such as Bradford City Village and the Bradford Southern Gateway, which will bring new homes, jobs, public spaces and transport connectivity to the heart of the city.

In further support for people in need of affordable housing, the Combined Authority has also been awarded £100,000 from the government’s new Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery initiative – part of a wider £84 million package to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping this Winter.

The region is also set to benefit from long-term housebuilding certainty through a share of the new 10-year, £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which will help partners to plan and deliver new homes at scale and at speed.

Thanks to devolution, West Yorkshire has already delivered more affordable homes than at any time since the global financial crash, and it is hoped that this new uplift will further build on that momentum.

_{by Tony McDonough}   

As she opens a multi-million pound academy for construction skills, City of Liverpool College CEO Elaine Bowker says too many parents are still pushing their kids to university instead of technical apprenticeships. Liverpool Waters is one of the biggest development sites in Europe and on the Liverpool/Sefton border there are plans to create a New Town with 10,000 new homes (despite lack of Government backing).

This means demand for construction and technical skills is surging and why the City of Liverpool College has opened its new multi-million pound academy for construction skills at Collingwood Dock within Liverpool Waters, close to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

And not a moment too soon. According to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) an additional 251,500 workers are needed across the UK by 2028 to meet demand. And yet…

Many parents still view ‘vocation vocation vocation’ as an inferior choice, one for the kids who just didn’t cut it academically at school and instead should just choose a career where “they can do something with their hands”. And their children are taking a similar view.

A survey of 5,000 A Level students carried out by careers specialist Prospect found 12% of school and college students would like to do an apprenticeship, while 60% were hoping to go to university. Almost half view apprenticeships as second-rate to university.

Yet the rapid rise of artificial intelligence is eating into traditional white collar professions such as law or accountancy much more quickly than jobs in areas such as engineering and construction.

In his speech to the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer signalled a shift in Government policy, and said he was looking to prioritise vocational training and apprenticeships over higher education. This announcement was backed by local businesses.

City of Liverpool College chief executive and principal Elaine Bowker believes the new academy on the banks of the River Mersey is offering careers that stand a much greater chance of being future-proofed.

She said: “Sadly, I still think parents who care deeply about their children still give a lot of bad advice. They tell their children ‘get as many GCSEs as you can, get your A Levels and then go to university. We hear that every day.

“But the economy has changed so much and it is actually people who choose technical skills who are getting their first-choice jobs. The economy is geared up towards technical and professional level 3, 4 skills and that is where we operate.

“Automation and AI means there are fewer jobs in some sectors so we are seeing more students who want to set up their own businesses. That is what we are geared towards and there are skills that are very difficult to replace with AI.”

This new academy will cater for 600 students a year. It will provide training programmes and apprenticeships for people wishing to enter the construction industry as well as those wishing to upskill.

It will focus on three priority skills areas: green technologies in construction; retrofit skills for existing housing stock and; skills for new homebuilding.

In the first year the college will deliver full-time programmes in construction multi-skills, bricklaying and carpentry and joinery.

There will also be apprenticeships in carpentry and joinery and plastering; part-time adult training programmes in solar PV, retrofit assessment and advice and more. It will also run skills bootcamps in green skills and retrofit.

There are three large 1,600 sq ft purpose-built workshops – with each accommodating different specialisms including brickwork, carpentry and joinery and plastering, as well as dedicated spaces for solar, modern methods of construction.

A dedicated Green Skills training centre will also see students working alongside energy companies based on site including First Utility and Tomato Energy and teachers to do real construction work including installing solar panels and ground source heat pumps.

Six 28-seater classrooms used for construction courses alongside other subjects such as maths and English. The site is accessible and wheelchair-friendly with a pedestrian route throughout.

Swansea firm takes Welsh innovation to the United Nations

RD Group and HWB360 share global expertise on indoor air quality at UN General Assembly events in New York

Swansea-based Raven Delta (RD) Group and its subsidiary Health and Wellbeing 360 (HWB360) have represented Wales and the UK on the world stage, showcasing Welsh-led innovation in healthy building standards at events linked to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

RD Group CEO, David Kieft, and HWB360 CEO, Dr Phil Webb, were invited to participate in ‘Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action’, an official UN side event focused on improving indoor air quality worldwide. At the event, they signed the Global Pledge – a landmark commitment recognising clean indoor air as a fundamental public health priority.

Other founding signatories included the Governments of France and Montenegro, the Australian Academy of Science, and RD Group subsidiaries MedicAir® and EFT Consult.

The following day, the pair joined global leaders, UN and WHO representatives, and leading researchers at a special International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and Hunter College event: “Improving Indoor Air Quality to Unlock Human Health, Organisational Performance and a Sustainable Future.”

Welsh expertise on the global stage

Dr Webb spoke on the Global Leadership Perspectives panel, alongside experts from Brown University, the Society for Indoor Environment, and the European Public Health Alliance. He shared insights from Wales and the UK’s pioneering approach to building health — covering topics such as data-driven environmental management, air quality governance, and the importance of standards like BS 40102-1:2023, developed by RD Group in collaboration with the British Standards Institute (BSI).

The discussions also opened doors for future collaboration with Brown University on indoor environmental quality research, further strengthening Wales’s role in international innovation and knowledge sharing.

A global invitation built on Welsh innovation

The invitation to the United Nations events follows years of groundbreaking work led by RD Group CEO, David Kieft, and his team in advancing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) standards and research. Kieft played a pivotal role in the development of the world’s first technical standard focused on the health and wellbeing of building occupants – British Standard BS 40102-1:2023 – which has since gained international recognition.

This landmark standard, originally inspired by Welsh Government legislation aimed at safeguarding future generations, was created through a collaboration between RD Group’s EFT Consult, academia and industry partners, and the British Standards Institute (BSI). It set a new global benchmark for measuring and improving the quality of indoor environments, addressing key health and wellbeing factors such as air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, and acoustics.

Kieft’s leadership in this field has been widely recognised, most notably with the BESA President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement, one of the building services industry’s highest honours. Under his guidance, RD Group has grown into a multi-faceted, award-winning collective of companies, leading the way in sustainable building services, air quality innovation, and environmental design – with its influence now extending from South Wales to the world stage.

Dr Phil Webb, CEO of HWB360, said:

“Indoor environmental quality is a global issue that impacts every country, every sector, and every family. Wales is now part of shaping the global roadmap, and that’s an incredibly powerful story of how local expertise can have a worldwide impact through international collaboration.”

David Kieft, CEO of Raven Delta Group, added:

“This was a landmark moment for our companies, for Wales, and for the UK. It shows that innovative SMEs from Swansea can influence global policy and public health priorities. We’re proud to carry the Welsh flag into these discussions and demonstrate how world-class solutions can come from our communities.”

Raven Delta Group – which includes EFT Consult, RDM Electrical and Mechanical Services, DRS FM Services, and HWB360 – continue to work with public bodies, universities, and industry partners across the world to champion healthier, safer, and more sustainable buildings for future generations.

Non-Compliant Pumps: A false economy the UK can no longer afford

By Wayne Rose, CEO, British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA)

Circulation pumps may not grab headlines, but they are the beating heart of heating and hot water systems across the UK. In both homes and commercial buildings, their performance directly affects energy consumption, running costs, and long-term reliability. Yet our market is increasingly threatened by a flood of cheap, non-compliant imports from the Far East—products that fail to meet the safety and efficiency standards required by UK law.

This is not just a technical problem. It is a consumer issue, a business issue, and an environmental issue that undermines the UK’s drive toward net zero.

Enforcement Must Catch Up

Setting standards is only half the battle. Without robust enforcement, those standards are meaningless. At present, too many non-compliant pumps are slipping through the net. UK authorities must do more—both to intercept these products at the border and to remove existing stock from merchant shelves and distributor catalogues.

Leaving non-compliant pumps in the marketplace misleads customers and penalises responsible manufacturers who play by the rules. Stronger, more visible enforcement is the only way to protect both consumers and the industry.

The Illusion of Cheap Pumps

The lure of a lower price tag is understandable, but it comes at a cost. Non-compliant pumps typically underperform on durability and efficiency. In reality, the bulk of a pump’s lifetime cost lies in the energy it consumes, not its upfront price.

Choosing a substandard pump locks in higher running costs for years. What looks like a saving at the checkout quickly turns into a drain on household budgets and commercial operating costs alike.

Energy Wasted, Targets Jeopardised

The UK’s installed base of circulator pumps—domestic and commercial—consumes vast amounts of electricity. Every percentage point of efficiency matters. Each non-compliant pump sold locks in unnecessary energy waste for its entire working life.

If the UK is serious about reaching its net zero targets, tackling this issue must be a priority. Eliminating non-compliant pumps from the supply chain is one of the simplest, most effective ways to cut carbon emissions.

BPMA Will Not Relent

The British Pump Manufacturers Association remains fully committed to lobbying Government, regulators, and enforcement agencies to act. We will continue to highlight the risks posed by these products and push for decisive measures to protect both customers and the climate.

This is not just about fair competition. It is about safeguarding consumers, reducing energy costs, and supporting national climate goals. The message is clear: non-compliant pumps are a false economy the UK can no longer afford.