Leeds based builder making the best of CaberMDF

Photographed left, former army member turned carpenter, Van Midgley, and right, a recent project created from West Fraser’s CaberMDF

 

“I found the transition from machine gun to nail gun quiet an easy one” – Van Midgley

 

A former member of the Royal Corps of Signals, who switched to carpentry after leaving the Army, now runs his own building company covering the West Riding area of Yorkshire and is making a name for himself fitting out property renovations using CaberMDF, as well as other panel products from the West Fraser range.

North Build Leeds was set up by Van Midgley five years ago and now tackles a variety of conversions as well as general building repairs and improvements, purchasing the high performance MDF and CaberDek flooring from different builders’ merchants in the city, depending on price and the locality his team are working in.

Van explained:

“While I left the army with a qualification in telecommunications, I always had an interest in building and would count myself as an ‘old school’ joiner, who can pitch a roof if necessary – as well as carrying out kitchen fitting to a very high standard, which is one of the second-fix applications where I use a lot of the CaberMDF, sometimes ordering 20 sheets at a time.  When I’ve got a job coming up, I will put out a cutting list to the merchants I use and see who comes back with the best price.  At the moment, I am employing four people full time as well as using a number of subbies, including an electrician and a plumber.

“And the jobs we’ve got on include a couple of loft conversions and an old, listed property which is going to be converted into an HMO with five flats in it; I rarely have to work more than 20 minutes from my house in Leeds.  I started off using the Norbord brand quite a few years ago and have stuck with West Fraser because you can be sure of the quality, as well as the value.  It’s a reliable product.  For the fitted cupboards I did on one job recently, that I put on Instagram, I used a combination of 18mm MDF plus thinner material to clad 20mm timbers, say if I want to create a void for wiring.  Then I’ll use 9mm for shelves and the Shaker doors I produce.  For floors, I prefer to use the 22mm CaberDek, together with the D4 glue which gives you a really solid fix – and with the tongue and groove you don’t need to land the joints on a joist.  It all makes our job straightforward.”

 

All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK are net carbon negative and manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation.  Responsibly sourced, the panels are FSC® (C012533) certified and created from locally grown timber, cutting embodied carbon from transportation.

For further information call 01786 812 921

OR CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE WEST FRASER WEBSITE

 

 

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SPECIALIST INSULATION MANUFACTURER AIM RECRUITS SIMON MAYES

 

Acoustic, fire and thermal insulation product manufacturer AIM has appointed Simon Mayes as Specification Manager.

 

Simon will work with specifiers and main contractors to determine the appropriate products to help them design high quality buildings and is available to give CPD presentations.

Simon has 20 years’ experience in the construction industry working for manufacturers such as British Gypsum, Saint Gobain Isover, Komfort, Cembrit, Siderise and, most recently, Proteus Waterproofing.  He has held positions ranging from: business development manager, where he was responsible for framework agreements between British Gypsum and main contractors; and specification manager, working alongside architects, designers and main contractors; to national sales director.

“The majority of my experience has been within specification, working with architects and main contractors,” Simon explained.  “I enjoy the technical side of sales where I can help clients understand and comply with the building regulations.”

The appointment is part of a major investment in sales and marketing at Acoustic Insulation Manufacturing, known as AIM.  Already this year, the business has recruited Chris Dale to the role of Business Development Manager – North and will have news of a Business Development Manager – South in the very near future.

“Given the importance of specification, we are delighted to have recruited such a highly experienced specifier,” added Ian Exall, AIM’s Commercial Director.  “Simon’s role will be key to the future growth of AIM.  We have spent two years investing heavily in our product range (which is set to continue well into the future).  Simon will be helping us bring our new and improved products to the attention of specifiers so that AIM products are a natural choice for the buildings they are designing.”

 

UK-based AIM Acoustic & Insulation Manufacturing designs and manufactures third party tested fire, thermal and acoustic insulation products, primarily, but not exclusively, for the construction industry.  The company produces bespoke insulation products to customer specification and a range of standard fire, thermal and acoustic insulation products, and provides technical and product training support.  AIM supplies products on a rapid response basis throughout the UK and Ireland.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE AIM WEBSITE

 

 

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Harnessing the Power of Coastal Waves

A leading, publicly-traded onshore wave energy technology company, is pleased to announce that Inna Braverman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eco Wave Power, and Eco Wave Power’s engineering team, have arrived for a meeting and an official site-visit with APDL (Administração dos Portos do Douro, Leixões e Viana do Castelo, S.A) , and other relevant stakeholders for the official kickoff of the Company’s first MW-scale wave energy project, to be located in the city of Porto, in Portugal.

Following the meeting with APDL, Eco Wave Power’s engineering team held a site visit to the breakwater and the room underneath the breakwater (“The Gallery”), where Eco Wave Power’s energy conversion equipment will be installed, and later opened to the public, as a first of its kind wave energy museum and education center.

During the site visit, Eco Wave Power’s team met with local subcontractors and manufacturers, to choose the preferred entities that will take part in the execution of this innovative project.

Inna Braverman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eco Wave Power said:

“We believe that this will be the first wave energy project in the world to show significant energy production from the power of the waves. I truly believe that this revolutionary project will position Eco Wave Power as a leading wave energy developer and serve as a significant milestone towards the commercialization of our wave energy technology globally. I would like to thank the Municipality of Porto and APDL, for being true wave energy pioneers, by enabling and supporting the development of an innovative, environmentally friendly energy generation technology, which will serve to lower the port’s carbon footprint, while creating new workplaces and an innovative industry in Portugal.”

The first MW project is being executed in line with a 20MW Concession Agreement entered into with APDL and is planned to be followed by a gradual expansion to the whole 20MW of installed capacity.

In March 2024, the Company received the final approval necessary for the commencement of the construction works of our first commercial-size project in Porto (TURH license) from APDL Port Authority, and issued a performance bond to APDL, meant to solidify the Company’s commitment for the construction of the first commercial wave energy project within a 2-year period.

Eco Wave Power’s project is well in line with the renewable energy plan of the Government of Portugal, as in July, 2024, Portugal announced that it aims to generate 85% of its annual electricity production from renewable sources by 2030, compared to 61% in 2023, one of the highest ratios in Europe.

Eco Wave Power is being advised by partner Joana Brandão and her team from leading Portuguese law firm PLMJ. Joana and the firm have significant experience in supporting the regulatory framework for renewable energy projects execution across Portugal and have been assisting Eco Wave Power since 2020.

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Deputy PM asks Local Authorities to ‘Play Your Part’

Playing your part in building the homes we need

 

July 30th: Earlier today, I set out to the House of Commons the Government’s plan to build the homes this country so desperately needs. Our plan is ambitious, it is radical, and I know it will not be without controversy – but as the Prime Minister said on the steps of Downing Street, our work is urgent, and in few areas is that urgency starker than in housing.

 

As the Leaders and Chief Executives of England’s local authorities, you know how dire the situation has become and the depth of the housing crisis in which we find ourselves as a nation. You see it as you place record numbers of homeless children in temporary accommodation; as you grapple with waiting lists for social housing getting longer and longer; and as your younger residents are priced out of home ownership.

 

It is because of this I know that, like every member of the Government, you will feel not just a professional responsibility but a moral obligation to see more homes built. To take the tough choices necessary to fix the foundations of our housing system. And we will only succeed in this shared mission if we work together – because it falls to you and your authorities not only to plan for the houses we need, but also to deliver the affordable and social housing that can provide working families with a route to a secure home.

 

To that end, and in a spirit of collaboration and of shared endeavour, I wanted to set out the principal elements of our plan – including what you can expect of the Government, and what we are asking of you.

 

Universal coverage of local plans

 

I believe strongly in the plan making system. It is the right way to plan for growth and environmental enhancement, ensuring local leaders and their communities come together to agree the future of their areas. Once in place, and kept up to date, local plans provide the stability and certainty that local people and developers want to see our planning system deliver. In the absence of a plan, development will come forward on a piecemeal basis, with much less public engagement and fewer guarantees that it is the best outcome for your communities.

 

That is why our goal has to be for universal coverage of ambitious local plans as quickly as possible. I would therefore like to draw your attention to the proposed timelines for plan-making set out in Chapter 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation. My objective is to drive all plans to adoption as fast as possible, with the goal of achieving universal plan coverage in this Parliament, while making sure that these plans are sufficiently ambitious.

 

This will of course mean different things for different authorities.

 

  • For plans at examination this means allowing them to continue, although where there is a significant gap between the plan and the new local housing need figure, we will expect authorities to begin a plan immediately in the new system.

 

  • For plans at an advanced stage of preparation (Regulation 19), it means allowing them to continue to examination unless there is a significant gap between the plan and the new local housing need figure, in which case we propose to ask authorities to rework their plans to take account of the higher figure.

 

  • Areas at an earlier stage of plan development, should prepare plans against the revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework and progress as quickly as possible.

 

I understand that will delay the adoption of some plans, but I want to balance keeping plans flowing to adoption with making sure they plan for sufficient housing. I also know that going back and increasing housing numbers will create additional work, which is why we will provide financial support to those authorities asked to do this. The Government is committed to taking action to ensure authorities have up-to-date local plans in place, supporting local democratic engagement with how, not if, necessary development should happen. On that basis, and while I hope the need will not arise, I will not hesitate to use my powers of intervention should it be necessary to drive progress – including taking over an authority’s plan making directly. The consultation we have published today sets out corresponding proposals to amend the local plan intervention criteria.

 

We will also empower Inspectors to be able to take the tough decisions they need to at examination, by being clear that they should not be devoting significant time and energy during an examination to ‘fix’ a deficient plan – in turn allowing Inspectors to focus on those plans that are capable of being found sound and can be adopted quickly.

 

Strategic planning

 

We know however that whilst planning at the local authority level is critical, it’s not enough to deliver the growth we want to see. That is why the Government was clear in the Manifesto that housing need in England cannot be met without planning for growth on a larger than local scale, and that it will be necessary to introduce effective new mechanisms for cross-boundary strategic planning.

 

This will play a vital role in delivering sustainable growth and addressing key spatial issues – including meeting housing needs, delivering strategic infrastructure, building the economy, and improving climate resilience. Strategic planning will also be important in planning for local growth and Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

 

We will therefore take the steps necessary to enable universal coverage of strategic planning within this Parliament, which we will formalise in legislation. This model will support elected Mayors in overseeing the development and agreement of Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs) for their areas. The Government will also explore the most effective arrangements for developing SDSs outside of mayoral areas, in order that we can achieve universal coverage in England, recognising that we will need to consider both the appropriate geographies to use to cover functional economic areas, and the right democratic mechanisms for securing agreement.

 

Across all areas, these arrangements will encourage partnership working but we are determined to ensure that, whatever the circumstances, SDSs can be concluded and adopted. The Government will work with local leaders and the wider sector to consult on, develop and test these arrangements in the months ahead before legislation is introduced, including consideration of the capacity and capabilities needed such as geospatial data and digital tools.

 

While this is the right approach in the medium-term, we do not want to wait where there are opportunities to make progress now. We are therefore also taking three immediate steps.

 

  • First, in addition to the continued operation of the duty to cooperate in the current system, we are strengthening the position in the NPPF on cooperation between authorities, in order to ensure that the right engagement is occurring on the sharing of unmet housing need and other strategic issues where plans are being progressed in the short-term.

 

  • Second, we will work in concert with Mayoral Combined Authorities to explore extending existing powers to develop an SDS.

 

  • Third, we intend to identify priority groupings of other authorities where strategic planning – and in particular the sharing of housing need – would provide particular benefits, and engage directly with the authorities concerned to structure and support this cooperation, using powers of intervention as and where necessary.

 

Housing targets

 

Underpinning plan making – at the strategic and local level – must be suitably ambitious housing targets. That is why we have confirmed today that we intend to restore the standard method as the required approach for assessing housing needs and planning for homes, and reverse the wider changes made to the NPPF in December 2023 that were detrimental to housing supply.

 

But simply going back to the previous position is not enough, because it failed to deliver enough homes. So, we are also consulting on a new standard method to ensure local plans are ambitious enough to support the Government’s commitment to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. The new method sees a distribution that will drive growth in every corner of the country. This includes a stretching yet credible target for London, with what was previously unmet need in the capital effectively reallocated to see homes built in areas where they will be delivered. The new method increases targets across all other regions relative to the existing one, and significantly boosts expectations across our city regions – with targets in Mayoral Combined Authority areas on average growing by more than 30%.

 

I want to be clear that local authorities will be expected to make every effort to allocate land in line with their housing need as per the standard method, noting it is possible to justify a lower housing requirement than the figure the method sets on the basis of local constraints on land and delivery, such as flood risk. Any such justification will need to be evidenced and explained through consultation and examination, and local authorities that cannot meet their development needs will have to demonstrate how they have worked with other nearby authorities to share that unmet need.

 

And we are also committed to making sure that the right kind of homes are delivered through our planning system as quickly as possible. That is why we are proposing to remove the prescriptive approach to affordable home ownership products, which can squeeze out Social and Affordable rent homes despite acute need. This will free authorities to secure more Social Rent homes, ensuring you get the homes you need in your local areas. We also want to promote the delivery of mixed use sites which can include a variety of ownership and rental tenures, including rented affordable housing and build to rent, and which provide a range of benefits – including creating diverse communities and supporting timely build out rates.

 

Green Belt and Grey Belt

 

If targets tell us what needs to be built, the next step is to make sure we are building in the right places. The first port of call is rightly brownfield land, and we have proposed some changes today to support such development.

 

But brownfield land can only be part of the answer, which is why we are consulting on changes that would see councils required to review boundaries and release Green Belt land where necessary to meet unmet housing or commercial need.

 

I want to be clear that this Government is committed to protecting nature. That is why land safeguarded for environmental reasons will maintain its existing protections. But we know that large parts of the Green Belt have little ecological value and are inaccessible to the public, and that the development that happens under the existing framework can be haphazard – too often lacking the affordable homes and wider infrastructure that communities need. Meanwhile, low quality parts of the Green Belt, which we have termed ‘grey belt’ and which make little contribution to Green Belt purposes, like disused car parks and industrial estates, remain undeveloped.

 

We will therefore ask authorities to prioritise sustainable development on previously developed land and other low quality ‘grey belt’ sites, before looking to other sustainable locations for meeting this need. We want decisions on where to release land to remain locally led, as we believe that local authorities are in the best position to judge what land within current Green Belt boundaries will be most suitable for development. But we also want to ensure enough land is identified in the planning system to meet housing and commercial need, and so we have proposed a clear route to bringing forward schemes on ‘grey belt’ land outside the plan process where delivery falls short of need.

 

To make sure development on the Green Belt truly benefits your communities, we are also establishing firm golden rules, with a target of at least 50% of the homes onsite being affordable, and a requirement that all developments are supported by the infrastructure needed – including GP surgeries, schools and transport links – as well as greater provision of accessible green space.

 

Growth supporting infrastructure

 

Building more homes is fundamental to unlocking economic growth, but we need to do so much more. That is why we are also proposing changes to make it easier to build growth-supporting infrastructure such as laboratories, gigafactories, data centres, electricity grid connections and the networks that support freight and logistics – and seeking views on whether we should include some of these types of projects in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime.

 

Having ended the ban on onshore wind on our fourth day in office, we are also proposing to: boost the weight that planning policy gives to the benefits associated with renewables; bring larger scale onshore wind projects back into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime; and change the threshold for solar development to reflect developments in solar technology. In addition, we are testing whether to bring a broader definition of water infrastructure into the scope of the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime.

 

And recognising the role that planning plays in the broader needs of communities, we are proposing a number of changes to: support new, expanded or upgraded public service infrastructure; take a vision-led approach to transport planning, challenging the now outdated default assumption of automatic traffic growth; promote healthy communities, in particular tackling the scourge of childhood obesity; and boost the provision of much needed facilities for early-years childcare and post-16 education.

 

Capacity and fees

 

I recognise that delivering on the above ambition will demand much from you and your teams, and your capacity is strained. We want to see planning services put on a more sustainable footing, which is why we are consulting on whether to use the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to allow local authorities to set their own fees, better reflecting local costs and reducing financial pressures on local authority budgets.

 

While legislative change is important, we also do not want to wait to get extra resource into planning departments – which is why I am consulting on increasing planning fees for householder applications and other applications, that for too long have been well below cost recovery. We know that we are asking a lot more of local authorities, and we are clear that this will only be possible if we find a way to give more resource.

 

It is also important that you are supported in the critical role you play when the infrastructure needed to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower is being consented under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime. I am therefore consulting on whether to make provision to allow host upper and lower tier (or unitary) authorities to recover costs for relevant services provided in relation to applications, and proposed applications, for development consent.

 

Social and affordable housing

 

Overhauling our planning system is key to delivering the 1.5 million homes we have committed to build over the next five years – but it is not enough. We need to diversify supply, and I want to make sure that you have the tools and support needed to deliver quality affordable and social housing, reversing the continued decline in stock. This is vital to help you manage local pressures, including tackling and preventing homelessness.

 

Within the current Affordable Homes Programme (AHP), we know that particularly outside London, almost all of the funding for the 2021-2026 AHP is contractually committed. That is why I have confirmed that we will press Homes England and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to maximise the number of Social Rent homes in allocating the remaining funding.

 

The Government will also bring forward details of future Government investment in social and affordable housing at the Spending Review, so that social housing providers can plan for the future and help deliver the biggest increase in affordable housebuilding in a generation. We will work with Mayors and local areas to consider how funding can be used in their areas and support devolution and local growth.

 

In addition, I have confirmed that the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) 3 will be going ahead, with £450 million provided to councils to acquire and create homes for families at risk of homelessness. This will create over 2,000 affordable homes for some of the most vulnerable families in society.

 

I recognise that councils and housing associations need support to build their capacity if they are to make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply. We will set out plans at the next fiscal event to give councils and housing associations the rent stability they need to be able to borrow and invest in both new and existing homes, while also ensuring that there are appropriate protections for both existing and future social housing tenants.

 

As we work to build more affordable homes, we also need to do better at maintaining our existing stock – which is why I have announced three updates on the Right to Buy scheme:

 

  • First, we have started to review the increased Right to Buy discounts introduced in 2012, and we will bring forward secondary legislation to implement changes in the autumn;
  • Second, we will review Right to Buy more widely, including looking at eligibility criteria and protections for new homes, bringing forward a consultation also in the autumn; and
  • Third, we are increasing the flexibilities that apply to how councils can use their Right to Buy

 

With respect to the third point, from today we are removing the caps on the percentage of replacements delivered as acquisitions (which was previously 50%) and the percentage cost of a replacement home that can be funded using Right to Buy receipts (which was also previously 50%). Councils will also now be able to combine Right to Buy receipts with section 106 contributions. These flexibilities will be in place for an initial 24 months, subject to review. My department will be writing to stock-holding local authorities with more details on the changes, and I would encourage you to make the best use of these flexibilities to maximise Right to Buy replacements and to achieve the right balance between acquisitions and new builds.

 

Finally, I would like to emphasise the importance of homes being decent, safe and warm. That is why this Government will introduce Awaab’s Law into the social rented sector. We will set out more detail and bring forward the secondary legislation to implement this in due course. We also intend to bring forward more detail in the autumn on our plans to raise standards and strengthen residents’ voices.

 

Next phase of reform

 

The action we have announced today will get us building, but as I said to the House of Commons it represents only a downpayment on our ambitions.

 

As announced in the King’s Speech, we will introduce a Planning and Infrastructure Bill later in the first session, which will: modernise planning committees by introducing a national scheme of delegation that focuses their efforts on the applications that really matter, and places more trust in skilled professional planners to do the rest; enable local authorities to put their planning departments on a sustainable footing; further reform compulsory purchase compensation rules to ensure that what is paid to landowners is fair but not excessive; streamline the delivery process for critical infrastructure; and provide any necessary legal underpinning to ensure we can use development to fund nature recovery where currently both are stalled.

 

We will consult on the right approach to strategic planning, in particular how we structure arrangements outside of Mayoral Combined Authorities, considering both the right geographies and democratic mechanisms.

 

We will say more imminently about how we intend to deliver on our commitment to build a new generation of new towns. This will include large-scale new communities built on greenfield land and separated from other nearby settlements, but also a larger number of urban extensions and urban regeneration schemes that will work will the grain of development in any given area.

 

And because we know that the housing crisis cannot be fixed overnight, the Government will publish a long-term housing strategy, alongside the Spending Review, which the Chancellor announced yesterday.

 

We have a long way to go, but I hope today proves to be a major first step for all of us as we seek to put the housing crisis behind us. I look forward to working with you all, and am confident that together, we can achieve significant improvements that will benefit our citizens.

 

Yours sincerely,

RT HON ANGELA RAYNER MP

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government

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The Olympian Endurance of Wood

As Olympic athletes from around the world thrill fans with their historic physical achievements, they are doing so in facilities built to be sustainable and are participating in a city that has a planned agenda to reduce the Games’ Carbon footprint. One of the major efforts to achieve these environmental and economic goals was to build fewer facilities that would lay dormant for years after the Games are just a memory, and any structures built be less harmful to the environment.

The International Olympic Committee, the owner of the Olympic Games had set ambitious net zero targets for the 2024 Summer Olympics, currently being held in Paris. The Games aim to halve their carbon footprint compared to the average of London 2012 and Rio 2016, 3.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Paris 2024 and its ecosystem are on course to meet this objective thanks to the measures to avoid, reduce, and control carbon emissions that were initially defined and that have been implemented in all areas of Games’ organization:

  • Construction: a single competition venue built for the needs of the Games, the Aquatic Centre, and left as a legacy to the people of Seine-Saint-Denis
  • Furniture: favouring rental over purchase and anticipating the second life of equipment
  • Energy: connecting the Games sites to the public electricity grid and giving priority to renewable energy sources to power them
  • Catering: offering a more responsible diet with twice as much plant-based food in meals.

The most visible of the Paris’ endeavours was the Aquatics centre. Architectural design companies VenhoevenCS with Ateliers 2/3/4/ won the competition to design the Aquatics Centre. The timber structure will be the only permanent venue built for the games. The centre will feature a large timber roof, and the firms designed and prefabricated the components hundreds of miles away from Paris before assembling them.

In its project description, Ateliers said:

‘Wood is at the heart of the Aquatic Centre, giving its identity and shaping its structure. The thin, floating, and wavy roof offers the public a perfect view of the pools from the stands. The project exceeds the guidelines for sustainability. The roof is entirely covered with solar panels, making it one of the largest urban solar farms in France. It illustrates how sustainable design principles can create a new architecture, which improves the living environment of our cities.”

The aquatic center uses cross-laminated timber modular components that were manufactured hundreds of kilometers away and assembled onsite like LEGO. Michael Barnard, a climate futurist and environmental writer in a post for CleanTechnica said that engineered timber is much stronger, so one ton of it replaces 4.8 tons of reinforced concrete, it has a lower carbon debt per ton for extraction and processing than concrete, and, “best of all, a ton of engineered timber has sucked in a ton of atmospheric carbon dioxide over its lifetime, turning the carbon into wood fibers and breathing out most of the oxygen,” wrote Barnard. “Last but not least, its roof is coated with solar panels, sufficient to provide at least 20% of its energy needs.”

In addition, the Olympic Village, north of Paris, will be an eco-quarter where all buildings under eight floors will be made from wood and glass, and all energy will be sustainably sourced via heat pumps and renewables. An 8,000-capacity existing arena at Porte de la Chapelle, comprised of a recycled aluminum facade around a wooden structure, is destined to live on as the home for Paris’ basketball team, as well as two public gyms.

 

Source: Woodworking Network

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The Biophilic Campus Building

KNAUF Insulation has revealed how its products were used in the bespoke, timber frame wall panels for the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering’s (NMITE) Skylon campus in Hereford.

The campus building is biophilic and described as an ‘exemplar’ of advanced timber construction techniques.

NMITE is a higher-education provider created from the ground up by its founders, teachers, donors, and a cohort of young designers. Its goal is to give young people a path to becoming integrated engineers that are ‘sustainability conscious’ and ready to find solutions for achieving net zero.

The organisation required a campus that facilitated its unconventional style of teaching and reflected the aspirations of the institution.

As well as making the campus itself an object for students to learn more about timber construction, NMITE wanted the site to be a ‘living lab’. Sensors would be used to monitor the structural, acoustic, and thermal performance, with the intention of sharing this data with the industry to develop insights.

Knauf Insulation’s products were used for the pre-fabricated panels supplied for the construction of the building. Taylor Lane built 20 panels offsite using a selection of non-standard materials and techniques specified by NMITE to demonstrate different approaches to students. Although each panel was unique, they all had a 240mm cavity that was insulated with OmniFit Slab 35.

The insulated panels were craned into position before being attached to the building. Some were attached to the cross-laminated timber (CLT) frame, others to steel, so students could observe varied approaches to construction.

OmniFit Slab 35 is a glass mineral wool slab designed for use in both timber and steel frame constructions. Its thermal conductivity is 0.035 W/mK, and OmniFit Slabs are said to provide sound insulation.

“We chose OmniFit Slab 35 for this project for several reasons,” said contracts director Paul Harris. “Its thermal and acoustic performance was important, but we also knew that, in the spirit of the project, we wanted to use materials that were sustainable. Glass mineral wool can be made from recycled glass and has low embodied carbon.”

Knauf Insulation’s glass mineral wool is manufactured in the UK at its plant in St Helens. The firm revealed that up to 80% of the glass content comes from recycled glass collected locally and processed in the Veolia plant opposite the factory.

The campus building is now home to students of the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT) and Centre for Automated Manufacturing (CAM).

Source: Project Scotland
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1.5m Homes to Get Britain Building

Angela Rayner  ‘Today marks a significant step to getting Britain building again.’   

 

The government has set out the tough decisions necessary to fix the foundations and grow the economy and the overhaul of the planning system that will facilitate it.

All councils in England are to be given new, mandatory housing targets to pave the way to deliver 1.5 million more homes – tackling the most acute housing crisis in living memory.

The new targets will mean councils must boost housebuilding in areas most in need, helping more people buy their own homes, removing the largest barriers to economic growth, and getting Britain building again.

The new rules set out today will reverse the decision last year to water down housing targets, by making them explicitly advisory, at a time when planning permissions were at a record low. The new approach reflects the level of ambition necessary to tackle the housing crisis and meet the government’s commitment to 1.5 million homes.

Supporting the government’s number one mission to grow the economy across the country, these new targets will flow into the development of local plans. It is through local plans that communities have a say in the building of the homes and infrastructure we need.

Currently just a third of councils have a plan that is under five years old, which is why government will take the tough decisions and step in where needed to drive progress, ensuring local areas get a say on how, but not if, homes are built.

The Deputy Prime Minister has written to every council Leader and Chief Executive in England to make clear that there is “not just a professional responsibility but a moral obligation to see more homes built”, and that she will not hesitate to use her powers of intervention should it be necessary – including taking over an authority’s plan making directly.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said:

“Today marks a significant step to getting Britain building again.

“Our decisive reforms to the planning system correct the errors of the past and set us on our way to tackling the housing crisis, delivering 1.5 million homes for those who really need them.

“And something I am personally proud of, our new flexibilities for councils will boost the number of social and affordable homes, and give working families a better route to a secure home.”

In addition to restoring mandatory housing targets, the method used to calculate them, which relied on decade old data, will be updated. The new method will require councils to ensure homes are built in the right places and development is proportionate to the size of existing communities, while adding an extra level of ambition in the most unaffordable areas.

The first port of call for development will be brownfield land. Reforms announced today will make explicit that the default answer to brownfield development should be “yes” and promote homebuilding at greater densities in urban centers, like towns and cities.

To help deliver 1.5 million homes over the next five years, councils will have to review their green belt land if needed to meet their own target, identifying and prioritising ‘grey belt’ land, which the government has today set out a definition for. This includes land on the edge of existing settlements or roads, as well as old petrol stations and car parks.

The update will make clear the requirement for councils to consider the proximity of new homes to existing transport infrastructure.

Where local authorities do not have up-to-date plans in place or enable sufficient housing to come forward to meet local targets, homebuilders can bring forward proposals on grey belt land. In all cases, land that is safeguarded for environmental reasons will continue to be protected.

Land released in the Green Belt will be subject to the government’s ‘golden rules’, which make clear that development should deliver 50% affordable homes, increase access to green spaces and put the necessary infrastructure is in place, such as schools and GP surgeries.

Alongside building the housing that we need, the government is committed to making it easier to build key infrastructure such as laboratories, gigafactories and data centres, as well as making changes to deliver more large onshore wind projects and solar development across the country.

In addition to these reforms to the planning system, the government is also taking steps to deliver quality affordable and social housing, working to reverse the continued decline in the number of social rent homes. This includes changes to Right to Buy, giving councils flexibility to use their receipts to build and buy more social homes. The government has started its review of the increased discounts introduced in 2012, with changes to be implemented in the Autumn.

The Deputy Prime Minister has also confirmed that details of future government investment in social and affordable housing will be brought forward at the next spending review, so social housing providers can plan for the future and help deliver the biggest increase in affordable housebuilding in a generation.

Responding to calls from the sector, the government has also confirmed that at the next fiscal event it will provide councils and housing associations with the rent stability they need to be able to borrow and invest in new and existing homes – while ensuring that there are appropriate protections for both existing and future social housing tenants.

INDUSTRY COMMENTS TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark

“Propertymark is keen to work closely with the new UK Government to help ensure a balanced mix of housing is delivered across the next parliamentary term and beyond. Ensuring sustainable homes are delivered in key areas is paramount for the economy and it’s encouraging to hear Angela Rayners commit to an in ‘infrastructure first’ approach, and one that focuses on making full use of available brownfield and grey belt land where possible first.

“Propertymark has long called for an enhanced housing strategy to be developed and one that can deliver for generations to come, so it’s positive to hear this will become an integrated ambition moving forwards. It is essential housing supply has seamless continuity and keeps pace with demand, so the return of mandatory housing targets and a commitment to building a mixture of housing becomes a reality.

“Ultimately, future direction to deliver the 1.5m new homes promised must be driven by robust insight and delivered with precision with via close stakeholder engagement.”

Anna Clarke, Director of Policy and Affairs at the Housing Forum

“It is encouraging to see more detail following on from Labour’s pre-election pledge to reform the planning system and get Britain building. Setting an ambitious target of 370,000 homes, and working with councils to achieve this in their local areas, sets a clear direction from the top of government to those involved in delivering these homes.

An emphasis on social and affordable housing is particularly welcome, and funding is really needed here, alongside trying to get as much as possible when building on greenbelt sites. While we suffer a shortage of homes of all tenures, a lack of social housing is  having a particular impact, not least on the 105,000 households in temporary accommodation.

We look forward to working with government to fleshing out these plans further in responding to the consultation on the NPPF, which we will respond to on behalf of Housing Forum members.”

We are also very pleased to see reports in the press that the Chancellor will lift funding for affordable housing, and introduce longer term rent settlements. Anna Clarke, Director of Policy and Affairs said:

“This will be widely welcomed by housing associations and councils as security over their future income will enables them to plan, to borrow and to build new homes with confidence.”

Daniel Paterson, Director of Policy Make UK Modular

“Make UK Modular warmly welcomes the proposed changes that the Government makes to the National Planning Policy Framework today – they will help deliver more truly affordable homes across the country. The reintroduction and strengthening of housing targets and the firming-up of rules around green belt land is both overdue and necessary.

“Yet even with the creditable changes being proposed today, the UK will need to use every available tool in its box, including manufactured building techniques, to build sufficient truly affordable homes at the pace our nation so badly needs. We need a growth in manufactured house building if we are to address the growing chasm in available construction skills, reverse the impact of a collapse in the number of SME builders, and ensure that the homes we build today will not need retrofitting tomorrow.”

 

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Survey on MMC and Social Housing

The National Housing Federation and Building Better joined together to survey housing associations across England, to find out how Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are being used in the housing sector.

Running from June to December 2023, the State of MMC Delivery in Social Housing survey included 57 housing associations of varying sizes, which were responsible for 45% of the homes delivered by housing associations in that period. Of the organisations surveyed, the vast majority (96%) were in favour of using MMC solutions.

More than 5,000 homes were completed using MMC, most of which were constructed using panelised assemblies, a category two MMC solution. In fact, nearly all (93%) of the completed builds used either category two, or category two and five combined.

Part of the project’s goal was to identify what housing associations deemed to be the key benefits of building with MMC. Overwhelmingly, environmental sustainability was cited as the most significant benefit, while adhering to the Future Homes Standard also ranked highly.

The Future Homes Standard aims to slash carbon emissions by focusing on building new, highly energy-efficient homes. Innovative MMC solutions can help to meet this demand, quickly and cost-effectively. H+H Vertical Wall Panels (VWPs) are a prime example. VWPs are storey high aircrete panels that are craned into place onto standard foundations and secured with fast-setting strong mortar.

The solution offers an alternative method of housebuilding to traditional brick and block while providing the same performance benefits of aircrete. The panels are quick to install, with the entire ground floor of a house able to be installed in one day, and when combined with prefabricated timber floors and roof joists, the shell of a house can be built in just five days.

The housing associations surveyed also expressed a desire to reduce residents’ energy bills with MMC built homes, especially in the face of rising fuel prices and the cost of living. At H+H we’ve seen evidence of this in our projects time and time again.

An H+H aircrete MMC solution was used in the construction of a Passivhaus development of 16 semi-detached houses and 12 sheltered accommodation apartments on the Isle of Wight, where residents reported significantly lower energy bills in their new homes. Jack Ostrofsky, then Head of Design and Technical at the scheme’s developer, Southern Housing, commented:

“It has been a phenomenal success because residents aren’t spending any money on heating their homes. People have been telling us they haven’t turned on their heating all year, and that’s a regular occurrence.”

Another key aspect of the survey was to discover what the barriers are to using MMC. Supplier vulnerability was a recurring reason given for not using, or increasing the use of MMC, with 73% citing it as their main or secondary barrier.

This is understandable given the recent demise of so many category one modular housing companies. However, category one is not the only option, and new modular companies are not the only MMC manufacturers available. H+H is a robust, well-established company that has been manufacturing aircrete products in the UK for 75 years. Alongside our category two and five MMC solutions, we also manufacture traditional aircrete blocks, which continue to be in high demand.

The survey also revealed that housing associations perceived complexity and a lack of understanding the systems as barriers to using MMC. However, this is not typically an issue for organisations that choose to build with H+H Vertical Wall Panels. The panels are made from aircrete, a familiar material for follow-on trades, eliminating the need for new skills or training. To install the panels, contractors can easily transfer skills from traditional build methods, and H+H offers the necessary training at no cost, presenting an excellent opportunity to expand a team’s skillset.

Affordable housing provider, Abri Homes, decided to make the switch to VWPs to speed up its building process and help to achieve its target of delivering 10,000 homes by 2030. Jake Snell, Head of Partnerships & Innovation, commented on the transition for his team:

“Adopting a new build method is a major cultural shift for both our on-site teams and our back office. The Vertical Wall Panel system is an ideal solution as it comprises a familiar material in a more advanced product. It lets us adapt our culture rather than creating a new one, and significantly reduces the level of risk compared with innovation used in other construction techniques.”

The State of MMC Delivery in Social Housing survey shines a positive light on the future of MMC use by housing associations, in particular through the adoption of reliable category two solutions.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

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Stonehenge Tunnel and other Infrastructure Cuts

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that UK infrastructure projects including the £1.7bn A303 Stonehenge Tunnel “will not move forward” as the government looks to fill a £22bn hole that the government has discovered in its audit of public finances.

Other money saving measures announced by Reeves in her address to Parliament this afternoon include the cancellation of the programme to bring disused railways back into service, the A27 Arundel Bypass, curtailment of Boris Johnson’s New Hospital Programme and a pledge to spend less on external consultants.

Civil engineering contractors have said that the industry was “disappointed” by infrastructure cuts.

The chancellor told Parliament that the financial situation inherited by the new Labour government is far worse than anticipated and that the previous regime “covered up” the starkness of the budgetary situations for governmental departments.

The speech was made alongside the release of an internal audit of public finances by HM Treasury that shows a £22bn differential between incoming tax revenue and expected spending outlay for this year.

In her speech to Parliament, Reeves said that the previous government had £35bn of pressures on its budgets that it had not divulged publicly. She accused the former government of making “unfunded commitments after unfunded commitments” and “putting party ahead of country”.

One of the covered-up funds disclosed by Reeves is a £1.6bn overspend in the Department for Transport which stems from handouts to private rail companies to make up for losses during the pandemic.

She detailed “difficult decisions” – i.e. cuts – that she said would make up £5.5bn of savings this year and over £8bn next year.

She wiped several “unfunded” commitments off the government’s plans across sectors and departments. The infrastructure related cuts include £1bn of unfunded transport projects that were to be brought forward in the next year that will now be systematically reviewed by the transport secretary Louise Haigh.

“As part of that work, she has agreed not to move forward with projects that the previous government refused to publicly cancel despite knowing full well they were unaffordable,” Reeves stated.

These included A303 Stonehenge and the A27 Arundel Bypass. Deferral of the £320M A27 Scheme had already been revealed in the party manifesto in the lead up to the election.

The Restoring Your Railway programme cancellation will save £85M according to the chancellor, and Haigh’s review will now assess other projects individually.

The Restoring Your Railways scheme was intended to bring abandoned railways back into service, which has successfully delivered the renewed Dartmoor Line, the Levenmouth Rail Link and the Northumberland line.

Further lines that were hoping to be restored through the programme included the Ivanhoe Line, the Portishead Line and many more.

She accused the Conservative government of promising “roads that would never be built, public transport that would never arrive, hospitals that would never treat a single patient”.

When the previous government, in March 2023, “rephased” major infrastructure projects including Lower Thames Crossing and High Speed 2, the infrastructure sector blasted it as a “false economy”.

Stonehenge Tunnel

National Highways’ A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down (Stonehenge Tunnel) scheme has been a long embattled project due to the roads body’s plan to develop a major new road and tunnel under the Unesco World Heritage Site. The roads body has argued for the necessity of the scheme to reduce chronic congestion on the main road artery to the south-west.

There have been continual battles with campaigners, Unesco and the High Court over this scheme. It was initially granted a development consent order (DCO) in November 2020, against recommendations from the Planning Inspectorate. Campaigners took this to the High Court which overruled the DCO decision as it was deemed unlawful.

National Highways continued to work on the DCO for the scheme, improving its carbon credentials. A second DCO application was approved by the Department for Transport (DfT) last summer. It seemed the scheme, which is still officially listed as £1.7bn but hasn’t had its cost updated for some years, was set to start construction this year. However, it had a final legal hurdle to overcome, which was heard earlier this month.

Now all the effort – including £166M spent to date on developing the two DCO applications, appointing contractors and fending off legal appeals – has come to naught.

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Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) director of operations Marie-Claude Hemming said:

“The Chancellor’s announcements are disappointing but will not come as a shock to industry, not least because a shortfall in funding for public projects has been evident for some time.

“The Labour Party rightly identified economic growth as its core mission, but as ever cancelling or pausing projects that will likely need to be delivered at a later date – and at higher cost – is putting off the potential for schemes to drive growth, create jobs and meet the needs of businesses and communities.

“As the UK’s public finances are clearly in a weakened state it is all the more important that government works with industry to identify how to move schemes towards delivery, rather than mothballing these crucial sources of growth.

“What’s more, it is frustrating that firms are expected to bear the costs of delay without regard to their forward planning in terms of workload and skills.

“Our industry thrives on certainty of investment, which is what enables CECA members to plan and deliver world-class infrastructure, upskill the workforce to meet projected need, and to ensure sustainable and stable business models.

“That’s why we’re looking forward to working with our members and the UK Government to review schemes that have been put on hiatus and see how they might be brought back online in due course, and to identify other projects that can be unlocked in all parts of the UK.

“Whether unlocking this investment – and its integration with the new housing Britain so urgently needs – will require new funding models is an open question that must be explored.

“Moreover the Chancellor’s announcement that she will set a multi-year spending review to provide certainty over three year periods will be welcomed by industry as a statement of intent to deliver economic stability in the longer term.

“Yet we urge the Government not to repeat the mistakes of previous administrations in taking an axe to capital projects without regard to future growth, and to work with industry to identify opportunities for investment that will not only deliver value for money, but will form the backbone of a net zero UK economy for years to come.”

Institution of Civil Engineers interim associate director of policy David Hawkes said:

“The Institution of Civil Engineers has long been calling for more certainty, clarity, and long-term strategic plans for infrastructure.

“The announcements made today by Chancellor Rachel Reeves that the government will undertake a multi-year spending review and commit to reviewing spending every two years, are welcome. Whatever the level of investment and priorities that the government decides on, infrastructure professionals, stakeholders, and the public need clarity and commitment to deliver.

“Now, it’s essential that the government make decisions about the infrastructure that should be invested in, in line with the priorities outlined by the National Infrastructure Commission in its second National Infrastructure Assessment.

“The government must quickly produce a National Infrastructure Strategy to lay out a vision and framework for delivering on its missions to kickstart economic growth and reach net-zero.”

Railway Industry Association chief executive Darren Caplan said:

 “The Railway Industry Association and our members will be closely following the announcement by Rachel Reeves of a three year spending review, and news that the Restoring Your Railways programme is cancelled with individual projects now under review.

“We support the need for a strategic review of transport schemes, and urge the government to make sure that the spending review takes account of the crucial role rail investment plays in supporting jobs, local growth, connectivity and decarbonisation within and between the UK’s nations and regions. As the National Infrastructure Commission recently noted, a lack of rail capacity is at risk of holding back growth in key cities.”

AA CEO Jakob Pfaudler said:

“Efficient transport infrastructure covering both road and rail is essential to the economic viability of the country. Congestion wastes billions of pounds each year and can fuel inflation as the bulk of goods and passenger journeys are made by road. Government figures show 80% of freight travels by road and 86% of all passenger kilometres travelled used cars, vans and taxis.

“We understand the Government needs to make savings and we would prefer to see this come from large infrastructure projects such as the A303 Stonehenge Tunnel being delayed rather than from the commitment to fund and fix the roads to remove the scourge of potholes.

“In the AA Motorists’ Manifesto, we indicated that our members are not in favour of massive road building schemes but believe more can and should be done to improve the safety of the current road and motorway network.

“By far the most important issue for 96% of AA members, in terms of transport policy, is the state of the roads, so while we understand that some longer-term projects will be delayed, we still need the commitment from Government for more long-term, ring-fenced funding for more permanent repairs of our roads.”

GHD EMEA market development leader Jonathan Edwards said:

 “The Labour government has a commitment to ‘get Britain building’, supercharge transport infrastructure, and prioritise rail connectivity across northern England. This will come at a cost and I think we are about to see that cost today. Previous pledges were light on detail and the feasibility of swiftly turning political vision into action, but what was clear was that public finances would not allow every programme and project to continue.

“By selecting which projects not to support, the Chancellor is making it clearer where Labour intends to focus government investment and the industry will now have to react. These announcements may be necessary for a new government and a consequence of realignment based on political direction for the UK. However, infrastructure projects and the public and private sectors that deliver them most desperately need long-term certainty and commitment. Without long-term thinking and commitment, investment cannot be sought, skills cannot be developed, and projects cannot be effectively and sustainably planned or delivered.”

TSSA is an independent trade union for the transport and travel industries and its general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said:

“Rachel Reeves has some difficult decisions to make, thanks to the last fourteen years of Tory chaos. However, she cannot allow this to deter her from honouring Labour’s commitment to fix our railways for the benefit of passengers and transport workers.

“Infrastructure projects such as HS2 and the electrification of the railways offer longer term tangible economic and environmental benefits for the whole country.

“Rachel Reeves must avoid the mistakes of the previous government which only ever thought short-term. Long-term investment in the railways will deliver long-term benefits for the whole economy. Funding for rail infrastructure should not be cut, or we’ll all end up paying the price.”

Not all parties are displeased with today’s announcement about the Stonehenge tunnel not moving forward.

The Stonehenge Alliance campaign group chair John Adams said:

“We welcome Rachel Reeves’ recognition that the country cannot afford this extravagant road scheme when schools are falling down and the NHS is in dire straits. However, she should have gone further. The road would be built at a loss and is a bad investment for UK plc. It should have been scrapped altogether.”

Historian and Stonehenge Alliance president Tom Holland said:

“This monstrous white elephant should have been put out of its misery long ago. Until the Government officially terminates the project, it will continue to leech taxpayer’s money. A delay is not good enough. Cancel it now!”

 

Source: Civil Engineer

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FUSION REACTOR: ‘The UK’s Nasa Moment’

By Greig Watson, BBC East Midlands

The project to build a nuclear fusion reactor in Nottinghamshire has been described as the “UK’s Nasa moment”.

But beyond the optimism of an event showcasing the scheme, how close is it to becoming a reality?

Is the promise of clean, cheap and secure energy still obscured by huge scientific, engineering and economic hurdles? And is it safe?

Two experts give us their take.

Former coal fired power station West Burton A, near Retford, was chosen as the location for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP), in October 2022.

However, even if investors are found and construction completed on schedule, the facility is unlikely to open before 2040.

Explaining the process, Dr Aneeqa Khan, lecturer in nuclear materials at the University of Manchester, said:

“Nuclear fusion is the process that powers the Sun, where two nuclei fuse together, liberating huge amounts of energy.

“Recreating the conditions in the centre of the Sun on Earth is a huge challenge.

“We need to heat up isotopes of hydrogen gas so they become the fourth state of matter, called plasma.

“In order for the nuclei to fuse together on Earth, we need temperatures 10 times hotter than the Sun – around 100 million Celsius.”

The promise of fusion is great – but so are the challenges

Dr Brian Appelbe, a research fellow in nuclear fusion at Imperial College London, said fusion differed from traditional nuclear power – fission – in several fundamental ways.  He said:

“Fission is about breaking heavy element apart, fusion is about forcing lighter element together.

“The amounts of energy that are released with fusion are far higher than fission.

“And the elements being used, like hydrogen, are far more widely available than the fission fuels. Some, like deuterium, a form of hydrogen, can be sourced from sea water.

“This is a much cleaner source of energy because it makes less radioactive material and it is radioactivity which doesn’t last as long.”

Dr Khan added:

“We are still a way off commercial fusion. Building a fusion power plant also has many engineering and materials challenges.

“However, investment in fusion is growing and we are making real progress.

“We need to be training up a huge number of people with the skills to work in the field and I hope the technology will be used in the latter half of the century.

“Global collaboration is key in achieving this.”

Dr Appelbe said:

“The news about the Nottinghamshire site is very exciting and there is a lot of development happening but we are still at the scientific stage of developing fusion.

“There is a real momentum building and I am optimistic about overcoming the scientific hurdles to building a functioning fusion power plant but I’m not an engineer or economist.

“But I wouldn’t want to put a timescale on it.”

Public opposition has been one of the most powerful obstacles to nuclear power

One of the practical problems which has dogged traditional nuclear power is public opposition, often based around fear of leaks and accidents.

Dr Appelbe said:

“I’d certainly live next to a fusion station. “It uses small amounts of fuel very quickly, so there are not the large amounts of fuel which are around for much longer with fission, which have been the source of some accidents such as Chernobyl.

“This, combined with the challenge of keeping a fusion reaction going, means there is no way you can have catastrophic runaway issues.”

 

Source: BBC News

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