Construction Turning a Corner

A sustained rebound in total business activity was recorded across the sector during the month, although the pace of expansion has eased slightly since July.

In an update of the S&P Global UK Construction PMI, a reading of 53.6 was recorded which was above 50.0 for the sixth consecutive month. This was slightly below the 26-month high reading of 55.3 in July.

Momentum was recorded in the residential sector which accelerated to its fastest since September 2022 with a reading of 52.7. This was attributed to improved market conditions and lower borrowing costs. Commercial activity was August’s best performing segment with a reading of 53.7.

Overall, August’s data demonstrated a much stronger rate of expansion than seen on average in the first six months of 2024.

 

“The UK construction sector appears to have turned a corner after a difficult start to 2024, with renewed vigour in the house building segment the most notable development in August,” said Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

“Improving sales pipelines and a turnaround in demand conditions led to a relatively strong degree of business optimism across the construction sector. However, some firms cited a slowdown in civil engineering activity and concerns about the outlook for infrastructure work as constraints on growth expectations.”

Elsewhere, August’s data showed staffing levels were broadly unchanged and that sub-contractor usage had decreased for the first time since January.

Purchasing price inflation meanwhile remained relatively muted over August with cost pressures easing since July.

Source: Development Finance

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Grenfell: Decades of Failure

THE devastating Grenfell Tower fire was the result of “decades of failure” by central government and the construction industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings, a long-awaited report has found.

The west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the “systematic dishonesty” of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said.

He called out “deliberate and sustained” manipulation of fire-safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market.

The fire, which took place in 2017, killed 72 people. The 1700-page final report found that the victims of the fire were dead or unconscious before the flames reached them.

The report laid out how those in positions of responsibility had not heeded or acted on warnings from earlier fires.

Moore-Bick said: “We conclude that the fire at Grenfell Tower was the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry to look carefully into the danger of incorporating combustible materials into the external walls of high-rise residential buildings and to act on the information available to them.”

The report added that by 2016, a year before the Grenfell fire, the government was “well aware” of the risks of using combustible cladding panels and insulation, particularly in high-rise buildings, “but failed to act on what it knew”.

Grenfell United, which represents some of the bereaved and survivors of the fire, said the report “speaks to a lack of competence, understanding and a fundamental failure to perform the most basic of duties of care” and demanded that some of the construction firms involved should be banned from government contracts.

But it added that while the final publication is a “significant chapter” in the years since the fire, “justice has not been delivered,” saying police and prosecutors must “ensure that those who are truly responsible are held to account and brought to justice”.

The Metropolitan Police said it “operates under a different legal framework and so we cannot simply use the report’s findings as evidence to bring charges”.

Met deputy assistant commissioner Stuart Cundy said the force had “one chance to get our investigation right”.

He warned that it would take up to 18 months to go through the report “line by line”.

‘What happened was, as each of them would have it, someone else’s fault’

 

Throughout the inquiry, construction companies have pointed the blame at each other.

Richard Miller, the inquiry’s lawyer, said in his opening address at the second stage of the inquiry: “What happened was, as each of them would have it, someone else’s fault.”

Cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex faced particularly heavy criticism in the report.

Arconic was found to have “deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger” of using its cladding product, particularly on high-rise buildings.

Kingspan had, from 2005 and even after the inquiry began in the wake of the fire, “knowingly created a false market in insulation” for use on buildings over 18 metres, the report said.

Celotex then, in an attempt to break into this market created by Kingspan, “embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market”, Moore-Bick added.

The report set out 58 recommendations, concluding that the construction industry had become “too complex and fragmented”.

‘Scotland is not complacent’

Scottish Government Housing Minister Paul McLennan (below) said: “The tragic Grenfell Tower fire emphasised how important building and fire safety is. Keeping residents and homeowners safe is our priority and we are taking action to protect lives by ensuring the assessment and remediation of buildings with potentially unsafe cladding.

“We will carefully consider all of the recommendations in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s report. Yesterday I met with UK Government ministers to discuss how we can work collaboratively to take the appropriate actions to deliver the Inquiry’s recommendations and ensure residents and homeowners in Scotland are kept safe.”

McLennan said that whilst Scotland already has “stringent” safety regulations in place, “we are not complacent”.

“Where immediate action is needed to safeguard people we will ensure appropriate actions are taken to manage risks, pending longer-term remediation works,” he said.

“Subject to the devolution of the necessary powers, we will establish a Building Safety Levy in Scotland, equivalent to a Levy that will be introduced by the UK Government in England. The Levy will provide vital revenues to support the funding of our Cladding Remediation Programme.”

Scottish Greens justice spokesperson Maggie Chapman said:

“This is a sobering report which shows what we all knew, the UK Government has failed in its basic duty of care and has put the interests of corporations ahead of the lives of people tragically killed in this disaster.

“Justice for those who lost their lives has not been delivered. The calculated dishonesty and greed shown by corporations and governments has cost 54 adults and 18 children their lives.

“This tragedy has highlighted exactly why here in Scotland and across the UK we need regulations that genuinely keep people safe in high-rise buildings.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Government will “carefully consider” the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to “ensure that such a tragedy cannot occur again”.

Starmer said:

“My thoughts today are wholly with those bereaved by, and survivors of, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the residents in the immediate community. This day is for them.

“I hope that Sir Martin’s report can provide the truth they have sought for so long, and that it is a step towards the accountability and justice they deserve.”

In a further statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer said the Government would write to all companies found by the inquiry to be part of the “horrific failings” at Grenfell Tower “as the first step to stopping them being awarded government contracts”.

Those affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster were “let down very badly before, during and in the aftermath of the tragedy”, Starmer said as he offered them an apology on behalf of the British state.

 

Source: The National

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The Human Cost of Systemic Construction Failures

Housing expert blasts “systemic failures of construction sector” following Grenfell Tower report

 

A leading professor from the Centre for Future Homes has called for a united response from the UK housing industry to address failures outlined in the final report into the Grenfell fire.

 

As a visiting professor at Birmingham City University (BCU), Mike Leonard helped to set up a fire engineering degree apprenticeship in 2022 in the wake of initial Grenfell report recommendations- the first degree of its kind in the UK.

 

Seven years after the tragic Grenfell fire he is still calling for the housing industry to do more:

“This report has outlined the systemic failures of a construction sector driven by a race to the bottom, incompetence, very poor behaviour and inadequate regulation and control”.

 

“As we reflect on the loss life, we must fully embrace the new legislation and effect a major cultural change, putting life safety and quality first. Our buildings should be non- combustible and resilient to the effects of climate change including overheating, wind, flood and wildfires.

 

“Birmingham City University and The Awarding Body for the Built Environment (ABBE) will continue to work with industry to develop routes to ensure people are competent in their roles and can demonstrate the right behaviours.

 

“Today our thoughts are with those who lost their lives and with their families. We must never forget the human cost of this wholly avoidable event.”

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Zero Waste Week

Attributed to Tara Crossan, Associate Director at Powerday

Powerday is committed to addressing the UK’s waste management challenges with innovative and sustainable solutions designed specifically for the construction industry.

Recycling is at the heart of what we do, and as an industry leader, we are dedicated to maximising recycling rates and diverting waste from landfills through our high-end materials recycling facilities across London. This Zero Waste Week, which takes place from 2 – 6 September, marks a great opportunity for businesses like us to reaffirm our commitment to minimising waste and contributing to a more sustainable future for the UK.

According to Qflow’s 2023 Waste Report, the construction industry generates 62% of the UK’s waste and 32% of all waste is sent to landfill[1]. There is no hiding that there are challenges, however there are certain steps businesses can take to support the circular economy and closely manage how construction waste is disposed of or repurposed.

At Powerday, we are proud to be at the forefront of waste management and recycling in the UK, dedicated to sustainability and making a positive impact in the communities we serve. Our work with the residents of Hillingdon, for example, has raised an incredible £65,000 for Harlington Hospice, providing invaluable care to those living with life-limiting illnesses and their families. This achievement has been made possible through the generous donations of thousands of items to the Waste Weekend Charity Shop in West Drayton, which we operate on behalf of the council. Since opening in January 2020, the shop has become a cherished community hub where residents can donate household items for resale, diverting them from landfill and supporting a vital local cause.

In addition to our community initiatives, we are actively working to reduce carbon emissions and support the circular economy through our closed-loop recycling programmes. Since the beginning of 2024, our partnership with Protec has led to the remanufacturing of 51,388 ProplexRE sheets, saving 130 tonnes of CO2 and diverting 196m³ of waste from landfill. Similarly, our glass recycling initiatives with Saint-Gobain and McLaren have resulted in the remanufacture of 40.3 tonnes of glass, saving 48.4 tonnes of raw materials and preventing 28.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions. These closed-loop initiatives preserve natural resources by significantly reducing the need for virgin materials, exemplifying our commitment to sustainable practices.

Powerday is also playing a crucial role in reducing waste and carbon emissions by processing construction and demolition waste efficiently and investing in advanced technologies to convert residual waste into renewable energy. Our recent deployment of two Volvo FE Electric Skip Loaders, powered by renewable energy from our Willesden plant, demonstrates our dedication to carbon reduction and net-zero goals. This project has already saved approximately 35 tonnes of CO2 compared to a typical diesel skip lorry, with estimated savings of 60 tonnes by the end of the year, contributing to cleaner air in London.

Environmentally, our latest manifesto lays out our ambitious targets to reduce Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 4% by the end of this year, aligning with our net-zero commitment for 2040. Additionally, we pledge to establish a Scope 3 target by the same deadline while continuing to understand and mitigate climate-related risks and opportunities.

As London’s leading family-run waste management and recycling business, we remain committed to driving sustainability forward in the UK. Powerday is proud to be part of this movement, not just during Zero Waste Week, but year-round, continuously looking at ways to minimise waste, reduce carbon emissions, and support the communities we serve in building a more sustainable future for all.

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TURNING UNFIT PLANNING INTO AN INVESTMENT MAGNET

The CBI is calling on the Government to mark the consultation to the National Planning Policy Framework as the ‘start of their ambition’ to reform the planning system.

Publishing it’s new Planning for Growth report, the CBI has identified a series of recommendations to accelerate building projects, boost connections and drive economic growth by going beyond the areas for consultation put forward in the NPPF.

Businesses in sectors as diverse as energy, construction, retail and manufacturing have all pointed to burdensome planning processes as a reason for stopping, pausing, or delaying critical investments in the UK.

The overall effect is of a system that prioritises bureaucracy over delivery, undermines investor and contractor confidence, and acts as a handbrake on economic growth. Concerns have also been raised about significant inconsistencies and variations in planning practices and procedures based on local politics.

Ahead of the Autumn Budget, the CBI is calling on the government to adopt a UK-wide Planning for Growth Strategy, implemented in partnership with devolved governments, that will provide cohesion and consistency across the planning system, based on the following principles:

  • Allow Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to bring in locally determined and ringfenced planning fees. This will make the system more flexible, more aligned to local need, and more able to consider factors such as project complexity, scale, and local economic conditions. It will also ensure revenue generated from planning applications directly supports the planning process.
  • Allow applicants to pay for independent consultants employed by LPAs for major applications. This will empower councils to access specialist expertise, expedite decision-making, and sustain a strong project pipeline while ensuring transparency and recovering costs.
  • Pilot the use of Local Planning Hubs that can advise LPAs on major infrastructure applications (as well as major housing developments). This would allow LPAs to import the knowledge and expertise required to process major applications crucial to delivering national housing and net-zero targets.
  • Promote greater public-private partnership for brownfield site development by using public investment to incentivise the private sector to deliver cleanup and regenerate. This reduces the overall burden on the public purse and promotes faster redevelopment that can benefit communities and stimulate growth.

Download the report for our full set of recommendations.

John Foster, CBI Chief Policy and Campaigns Officer, said:

“Putting planning reform at the top of the in-tray represents a real statement of intent from the new government and their prioritisation of growth as the defining mission of the parliament.

“Unlocking private investment is the catalyst for the productivity gains needed to deliver long-term sustainable growth. But right now, delays in the planning system are putting a handbrake on investment and growth. It’s too slow, too cumbersome, and too bureaucratic for the country’s needs. At its worst, it creates a system where development is seen as an outcome to be avoided rather than an objective to strive for.

“The approval of data centres, the reclassification of onshore wind, and the consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework have all provided some early momentum behind the agenda for change. But this should mark the start of the government’s ambition, rather than the finish.

“With the Autumn Budget fast approaching, there is an opportunity to double down on the ambition to transform the planning system from an economic millstone to an economic multiplier. By focusing on consistency, simplicity and resourcing, the CBI’s Planning for Growth report sets out how the Government can create a system that is smoother, swifter and better calibrated to attract the private capital needed to spread prosperity across every corner of the country.” 

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The Dagenham Fire – Government Expects More

The Deputy Prime Minister and Building Safety Minister Rushanara Ali have set out clear expectations for regulators and partners to increase the pace of remediating unsafe buildings at a roundtable convened on the 28 August following on from the major fire in Dagenham.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Paul Dennett and Deputy Mayor of London Jules Pipe attended the meeting, along with key representatives from the London Fire Brigade, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Local Government Association, the Building Safety Regulator, and other key partners.

The Deputy Prime Minister set out her priorities – speeding up the remediation of buildings, and ensuring that people are safe in buildings undergoing remediation. She also praised the bravery of firefighters who tackled the fire at Spectrum Building in Dagenham, which she visited yesterday, and the support offered to residents by Barking and Dagenham Council.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:

Speeding up the remediation of buildings is absolutely critical.

Seven years on from Grenfell, action has been far too slow and the fire in Dagenham is a horrific reminder of the risk unsafe cladding still poses to far too many people.

This government will expect more from regulators and partners to make sure action is being taken now to make homes safe, speed up remediation and ensure that buildings in the process of being remediated are managed safely for residents.

Building Safety Minister Rushanara Ali said:

I would like to thank the emergency services, council and wider community for all they have done following the fire in Dagenham.

It is absolutely essential that central and local government, regulators, and partners come together, as we have today, to drive fast and effective change to get buildings fixed, made safe and make sure residents are protected.

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The New Homes Accelerator

About the New Homes Accelerator

The New Homes Accelerator is a collaborative effort between the government, Homes England, the Greater London Authority, local authorities, developers and other key stakeholders. It aims to unblock and accelerate the delivery of housing developments that have for various reasons become delayed, or which are not progressing as quickly as they could be.

Initial analysis suggests there may be more than 200 sites with outline or detailed planning permission where work on site has delayed, with potential to deliver up to 300,000 homes.

How the New Homes Accelerator works

The New Homes Accelerator will focus on selected large-scale housing developments that are encountering significant delays or obstacles.

By leveraging government resources including Homes England, working closely with local authorities, and fostering collaboration with developers and landowners, the New Homes Accelerator will:

  • identify and address specific thematic issues causing delays, such as coordination failures, regulatory obstacles, and local authority capacity constraints
  • deploy expert teams to provide on-the-ground support to local authorities, offering planning and enabling assistance to expedite the development process
  • utilise its resources to unblock and accelerate delivery on sites that are facing delays or not progressing as quickly as they could be
  • inform future reforms to housing and planning policy, where policy barriers to rapid housing delivery are identified

Call for sites

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is launching a call for evidence.

Developers, local authorities and landowners are invited to identify large-scale housing developments that are delayed or stuck so the government can better understand the scale of the challenge and evaluate what support it can provide to help overcome barriers to development and accelerate delivery.

We will also be writing to local authorities to request their participation in this process.

How to submit a site

Submissions can be made through an online application form on Citizen Space. This form is designed to capture all the necessary information to assess the site’s current status and the potential for government intervention. Please ensure that your submission meets the following criteria:

  1. The site must be a large-scale housing development with significant delays or obstacles preventing progression.
  2. We are particularly interested in developments with a capacity over 1,500 units and at all stages of the planning process, but information about smaller sites over 500 would also be welcome to help us boost our evidence base.
  3. Priority will be given to sites that are viable without requiring substantial additional government funding or infrastructure investment.

Support may come in various forms, such as strategic advice, planning assistance, or facilitation with stakeholders, depending on the issues that sites are experiencing.

In keeping with published propriety on planning casework decisions, government support for developments which have yet to secure planning permission should not be taken as an indication of likely approval of applications should they come before MHCLG ministers in the future. All planning casework decisions are made in accordance with propriety guidance.

Submitting a site does not guarantee any follow up or government support.

There is no limit on the number of sites you may submit. Each site would require a separate submission.

Next steps

You will receive an automated email confirming receipt of your application. Once the application process has closed, we will review all submissions. Due to the expected high volumes of applications, we may not be able to respond to all submissions. We will be prioritising sites that meet the criteria for intervention.

The application window closes at 11.59pm on Thursday 31 October 2024. Any information received after this date will be forwarded to the New Homes Accelerator Team.

 

For any enquiries about the New Homes Accelerator or the call for sites, contact newhomesaccelerator@communities.gov.uk.

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The Complex Responsibilities of the Building Safety Act

The Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) has been fully in force since April 2024 when the transitional period ended. It followed in the wake of the Grenfell disaster and seeks to address the shortcomings that were identified by the subsequent enquiry and deal with the legacy of dangerous high rise residential buildings that have been built over the preceding years – by no means an easy task.

It also aims to improve building safety standards. However, its implementation has been met with challenges, as regulatory bodies and construction professionals navigate new requirements and their implications for projects.

It introduces many new provisions a few of which include:

  • A new role for the Health & Safety Executive called the ‘Building Safety Regulator’ (BSR). With wide ranging powers including the role of Building Control for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRB)s
  • The introduction of a new regulatory regime for the design and approval of high-risk buildings involving clear flow of information and a ‘golden thread’ that now runs through the lifecycle of a project that allows all key decisions to be traced and information to be passed on from initial conception through to delivery and subsequent maintenance & operation of a building.
  • New roles and duties for all persons involved in the delivery of construction projects including the appointment of a Principal Designer for Building Regulations (PD-BR).
  • An overhaul of building regulations approval and inspection regimes.

These are all sensible measures and the decision to introduce these are broadly supported. The problem arises however in that they have been dropped onto an industry that was ill prepared and is now struggling to get to grips with interpreting what is required and how the requirements can be met. What we have also realised is that many of these measures & the principles now applied don’t just apply to high-risk buildings but to all building projects.

The problems start early in the process at design stage. At renewal stage, many experienced competent Architects are unable to obtain Professional Indemnity insurance (PI insurance) at reasonable commercial rates for design of fire safety measures and/or cladding. As such, they are writing to advise their clients of this & withdrawing from providing details on these key elements.

Fire engineers are understandably now very busy if not overwhelmed by the upsurge in demand they are experiencing. This is a symptom of not only increased demand for fire engineers who are now required earlier in the design & development cycle, but also a consequence of the scarcity of qualified fire engineers in the profession.

Fire engineers provide expert professional advice on fire strategy and provide design guidance to project teams in how to apply building regulations Approved Document B or BS9999. It is unusual however that their role will involve providing clear guidance on how key fire resisting elements of the building fabric to be employed will interact and perform as a whole. Instead there is now even greater reliance on specialist installers and suppliers.

On passive measures designers refer to product information & test data from manufacturers which the project Architect is then required to choose and specify (a real problem when as above they cannot obtain PI insurance for this and exclude any responsibility for this). Further, on active systems again manufacturers and installers of such systems will supply and install their products, but not advise or guarantee how they will affect the overall building. How these component parts operate will depend on the overall fire strategy.

On passive systems such as fire rated plasterboard ceilings and walls, there are many examples of standardised systems which have been tested for new build situations, but precious little that deal with existing construction when tackling a major challenging refurbishment project (particularly of historic buildings). In these situations, project teams are being forced down a route of introducing additional structures to take fire rated components. Further, the use of any ‘non-standard’ method of construction such as Structural Insulated Panel Systems (SIPs) or glulam primary support structures suddenly introduces a whole new level of unexpected complexity and expense that can make many projects unviable.

There is an argument therefore that the industry has become fractured in that there are now multiple parties to a project taking individual responsibilities for individual elements. Project managers are faced with the task of stitching these elements together to make sure that all elements are covered and that the ‘golden thread’ of information is continuous and runs through a project stitching the fire safety strategy together to make sure it is achieved. This is not a role envisaged by the BSA. Arguably the Government at the time thought that the Architectural profession would take the lead, but the reality is that that the insurance industry simply will not allow it.

The BSA has arguably had the biggest impact on the construction industry in a generation. Clearly it will be uncomfortable while we adjust to the new norm. In this new world it is even more important to bind the project team closely together to ensure close collaboration at all levels. It now even more than before requires close cooperation with regulatory authorities and building control. Teams need to bring in more specialists at an early stage to advise on such matters as fire stopping / compartmentation and active fire suppression systems. These need to be incorporated into the design & fire strategy from the outset. On refurbishment works, opening up of existing construction in the pre-construction phase can answer many questions. The days of asking contractors to take on these risks on a design & build basis with minimal information are gone. The risk profile and accountability now required requires clients to take an active role in the delivery of safe buildings.

By Darren Firas-Robles

Source: Dorset Biz News

 

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£1m Loan for New (SIP) Manufacturing Hub

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram (left) pictured with Hemsec Managing Director Stephen Painter

as the Mayor officially opened Hemsec’s new plant in Huyton.

A £1m loan from Mayor Steve Rotheram’s Flexible Growth Fund has enabled pioneering local company Hemsec Manufacturing Ltd to open a new Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) Manufacturing Hub in Knowsley, creating 25 jobs and helping the city region’s drive to become net zero carbon by 2035.

Hemsec started out in St Helens in 1928 making cork cabinets to store ice for ice-cream makers. After decades of innovation, Hemsec were one of the UK’s first to develop structural insulated panels (“SIPs”) for residential applications at scale in 2007, foreseeing the UK’s need for more energy-efficient buildings, and for fast construction using modern methods of construction (MMC).

Panelised construction is a modern method of construction that involves the fabrication of structural panels off-site, which are then transported to the construction site for assembly.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) provide a superior airtightness and insulation level, particularly in comparison to traditional masonry methods of building homes, producing homes that can significantly improve standards of living and are cheaper to heat.

Hemsec currently works with local housing associations on the development of low-carbon homes which can be built at speed and cost a fraction of price to heat, helping to alleviate the housing shortage whilst reducing energy bills significantly for occupants.

The £1m loan from the Flexible Growth Fund, the maximum amount available to a single applicant, has enabled Hemsec to create a new manufacturing hub in Huyton in Knowsley, creating 25 new jobs along with two apprenticeships for local people.

Speaking about the loan, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, who recently officially opened the new plant, said:

 

“This is exactly what our Flexible Growth Fund was created for—empowering local companies to innovate, create jobs, and stay ahead in their field. Hemsec’s new manufacturing hub is not just an investment in their future but in the future of our region, driving forward our ambitions to be a leader in modern, energy efficient construction and helping us on our path to becoming a net zero city region by 2035.”

 

Cllr Mike Wharton, Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade, said:

 

“The purpose of our Flexible Growth Fund is to provide fast and flexible loans to successful businesses to enable them to grow.

“Hemsec have long been pioneers in modern methods of construction and this loan will help them to stay at the forefront of this exciting sector and create jobs for local people in the process.”

 

Stephen Painter, Managing Director at Hemsec, said:

 

“The opening of Hemsec’s SIPs Manufacturing Hub represents a transformative moment for the Liverpool City Region and the British manufacturing industry. With the capabilities of this pioneering press machine, we have an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the construction of much-needed truly affordable social housing, providing safe and sustainable homes for our communities.

“A fabric-first approach to sustainable buildings is crucial for ensuring the performance of our homes is optimised now and remains for the lifetime of the building, securing longevity in energy efficiency.”

 

The Flexible Growth Fund was established by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority with £20m in 2020, offering flexible, low-interest loans that businesses can access quickly and easily, to enable projects to be completed.

Managed by River Capital, it is available to small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) undertaking expansion projects and with the ability to raise 50% in match funding from the private sector.

All loans are paid back to the Combined Authority with interest, enabling the money to be reinvested in local businesses.

Source: Liverpool City Region

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Empowering new architects

However talented, enthusiastic and determined new architects are, they still need to be empowered to realise their full potential and fulfil their dreams. Despite a long training, architecture is a profession where ongoing learning is essential, but this continuing professional development (CPD) may not always meet expectations. This is sad and worrying because architecture has a direct and often profound impact on our lives.

We all inhabit buildings and, on average, spend eighty to ninety per cent of our time indoors*. Even when out and about, much of our life is spent in some form of built environment, often created by architects. Good architecture has never been more important: professional competence is being scrutinised as never before and we are seeing the introduction of new legislation in the areas of building safety and sustainability.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is changing its CPD system to help meet these challenges and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) has gained powers to check architects‘ competence. Methods of CPD learning are as diverse as the topics covered but the teaching needs to be interesting to be successful. When it comes from manufacturers, it must not simply be a case of them trying to tick all the boxes with their product. It is also vital that it is not boring, repetitive and unnecessarily time-consuming. There is a real danger that new architects who are already under stress at work can find the burden of learning harmful to mental health, especially if it is shoehorned into lunchtimes and other free periods.

Resourcing and empowering new architects is not just about teaching; it also involves encouragement, mentorship, a supportive work environment and generating fresh opportunities for creativity and innovation. Above all, it is about investing in the next generation of architects and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to produce the best and most sustainable architecture.

To find out more about West Fraser’s support for architects and to access useful downloads

CLICK HERE to visit the architects’ page

 

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