Archive for category: General News

LABOUR LANDSLIDE – The industry Responds

Gillian Charlesworth, CEO of the Building Research Establishment (BRE), commented on the result of the election earlier today:

“I want to congratulate the Prime Minister and his Government on their appointment and look forward to the implementation of ambitious manifesto pledges to decarbonise the UK economy and drive the energy transition forward.

“This Parliament begins as the UK finds itself at a major crossroads on its net zero journey. The international scientific community is clear that significant progress must be made by 2030 to reduce emissions and limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C.

“With the built environment being the UK’s second largest source of carbon emissions, it is imperative the Government’s upcoming industrial strategy is delivered in close partnership with the sector to unlock and accelerate action towards the clean heat transition, improving existing housing stock and leading the way on building standards.

“For over 40 years, BRE has championed the impacts of transformation in the built environment not only on the climate, but on societal, health and economic outcomes. We look forward to supporting the new Government in ensuring these opportunities are fully realised.”

Comments from CEA’s Director of Operations, Viki Bell, on the election results:

The Construction Equipment Association (CEA) congratulates the Labour Party on their landslide victory and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on their historic election win. This significant change in leadership presents a unique opportunity to propel the UK construction equipment industry into a new era of innovation and sustainability.

“As the CEA, we are ready to engage actively with the new Labour Government to address the crucial challenges and seize the opportunities highlighted in our 2024 Manifesto. The commitment to decarbonisation, digital transformation, and skills development outlined in Labour’s platform aligns closely with our industry’s goals.

Labour’s plans to introduce a new industrial strategy, developed in partnership with businesses through an Industrial Strategy Council, will leverage Britain’s strengths in life sciences, digital, creative industries, financial services, and clean power. This collaboration will drive growth and innovation, benefiting the construction equipment industry and the wider economy.

The party’s promise to build 1.5 million new homes in England over the next five years is a remarkable initiative that will stimulate demand in the construction equipment sector, a level of housebuilding not seen since the 1960s. This very ambitious target and reforms in housebuilding economics and bureaucracy will likely boost private sector participation, benefiting our industry significantly.

Decarbonisation remains a critical priority for us. Labour’s substantial investment of £23.7 billion in green measures during the next parliament emphasises the central role of green policies in driving growth and prosperity. We anticipate robust support from the Labour Government in advancing innovative technologies, including electric and hydrogen-powered machinery. Establishing a national alternative fuel infrastructure is essential, and we look forward to contributing to these transformative efforts.

The party’s plan to allocate £1.7 billion a year for the Great British Energy company aims to accelerate the roll-out of renewables and nuclear power, creating 650,000 jobs by 2030. This initiative will drive industrial renewal, lower energy bills, and ensure secure, clean energy supplies, promoting a stable environment for construction projects.

The digitalisation of our industry is another important area. We are ready to collaborate on harmonising digital legislation and enhancing cybersecurity measures. Addressing the skills gap is imperative for maintaining our competitive edge, and we are eager to work with Labour to attract and develop the next generation of talent.

Lastly, we urge the new government to ensure regulatory stability and alignment with European standards, vital for maintaining our international competitiveness. Together, we can adopt a sustainable, innovative, and prosperous future for the UK construction equipment sector.”

Commenting on the election of the new Labour government, Gary Wright, CEO of deposit alternative specialists, flatfair, said:

“It is no surprise to see Labour winning the election by such a huge margin, the country has been crying out for change and have given Keir Starmer the mandate to make that change happen.

“A clear area requiring urgent attention is housing and more importantly affordability. Let’s hope he can live up to his pledge to build 1.5m new homes in the next 5 years, only house building can fundamentally improve the affordability crisis.

“Until that happens renters will remain under huge cost pressures and deposit alternatives will provide an important choice in allowing tenants to reduce their upfront costs of renting.

“But the government must take a balanced approach around renting to ensure landlords are not put off being landlords as this would only make supply issues worse and push costs up even higher.

“We will watch Labour progress with great interest…”

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU (Local Government Information Unit) said:

“As we witness a change of government, we should be proud of our democracy and grateful to the electoral administrators who make it all happen and to all the candidates, winners and losers, who put themselves up for election. We offer special congratulations to all the councillors and council leaders entering parliament.

We know that local government stands ready to work with the new UK government and we offer a reminder that national success has local foundations. Labour has set out clear missions for government, but these can only be achieved in partnership with local democratic institutions.

We congratulate the new UK government, and we urge it to set out a new relationship with councils across the country based on genuine collaboration and parity of esteem.”

Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer of the STA (Structural Timber Association), commented:

“The general election has been a significant milestone for the housebuilding sector, with Labour pledging to build 1.5 million homes during the next five years. Now, it’s crucial that Prime Minister Keir Starmer makes good on his election promises by implementing a clear strategy to deal with the housing shortage

“However, it’s important to emphasise that simply building more houses is not enough – this is a unique opportunity to revolutionise the way we build our homes in the UK. Adopting more sustainable construction methods such as structural timber, offers a speedy and clean approach to meeting current and future housing demands.

“What’s more, we urge the new Government to renew the commitment to increasing the use of timber that was established with the Timber in Construction Policy Roadmap, published by DEFRA in December last year. Increasing the use of timber presents a viable solution to both the housing shortage and the UK’s legally binding Net Zero obligations – it’s imperative that the progress we have already made is not lost in the change of Government.”

Carpenter also highlighted that structural timber solutions are well-positioned to deliver on multiple fronts. Construction times are much quicker than traditional methods due to the structures being manufactured offsite, ensuring timely delivery of much-needed homes.

What’s more, offsite assembly of structural timber houses is a clean method of construction, leading to less waste, reduced labour requirements and less disruption on site. Finally, as timber is a renewable and low carbon material, it offers a truly sustainable and long-term solution to the housing shortage, while also contributing to the UK’s Net Zero obligations.

Celia Greaves, CEO of The Hydrogen Energy Association said:

“We are looking forward to strengthening our existing solid relationships with Labour Ministers and working with the Labour government going forward to develop the details behind their manifesto commitments,” she said.

“We have had many, useful conversations with the party over recent months leading to collaboration around policies and endorsement for our ambition and work to date.

“In the last few weeks, we have seen Labour double down on its Clean Energy Superpower commitments to cut bills, create jobs and delivery energy security by 2030, with investment pledges and reconfirmation of a £500m green hydrogen manufacturing fund.

“We anticipate continuing to work in partnership with the new government to prioritise clean power in line with pledges made in the run up to the election to maintain momentum and push for climate leadership for the UK on the world stage.

“We hope that the incoming government will bring new enthusiasm to drive forward ambitions that require solid commitment and decisive action.”

Celia added that it was vital to maintain the momentum of the last five years that witnessed the launch of the Hydrogen Strategy in 2021, the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Action Plan in 2022, the launch of the HAR scheme and the passing of the Energy Bill.

“A lot has been achieved but we have to move quickly to reap the benefits of hydrogen across clean growth, energy resilience and Net Zero goals which the Labour government understands,” she said. “Our new Prime Minister has to realise the ambition with policy specifics to underpin the rhetoric and be prepared to make the big decisions that are required to drive change.”

Mark Dyer – Deputy managing Director, Daikin UK

“We are looking forward to working with the new government to deliver a greener future for the nation. Labour’s commitment to support the deployment of low carbon heating through the ‘Warm Homes Plan’ is very welcome and it will help hundreds of thousands of households install air source heat pumps. We would urge the government to consult on the plan at the earliest opportunity.”

Kris Collett, Managing Director of Castlemere Developments

With Labour set to form the new UK government, Kris Collett, managing director of Windsor-based property developers Castlemere Developments, said: “Big change is now on the horizon with this landslide Labour victory.

“The housebuilding industry has struggled under 14 years of Conservative government and we are optimistic about the change a new government will provide.

“With a large parliamentary majority, Labour is in a position to bring forward much needed planning reforms required to get the housing sector and the country moving. I believe the whole industry is now a little more optimistic about the future.”

Rory MccGwire, founder of the UK’s largest small business advice website Start Up Donut, said:

“After 14 years in which the government soundbites about supporting small businesses were rarely matched by actual support for those businesses, I think the Labour victory is seen as a chance for real change and improvement.

“But how will the incoming government’s promised policy changes affect the 99 per cent of UK businesses classed as ‘micro’ or ‘small’?

“In reality, these policies will have remarkably little impact. Why? Because we have seen these plans and promises many times before, in one guise or another. And yet, successive governments have failed to make a positive impact on the lives of the UK’s smallest businesses.

“Let’s look at the three main new policies aimed at helping small businesses.

“Firstly, business rates. These have been discussed endlessly. I lost count of the number of consultations and reviews long ago. Pointing out the current flaws and problems is easy, but achieving a satisfactory solution is another matter entirely.

“Secondly, the national investment bank. There’s no shortage of banks wanting to lend to small businesses. The real problem is that lending to small businesses is high risk. The well-known solution is for the government to underwrite the lending with some kind of guarantee (such as the Loan Guarantee Scheme and its successor schemes) and for the government to offer an ‘enterprise allowance’ grant to anyone brave enough to try starting a new business.

“Thirdly, the promise of more public sector work being awarded to small businesses has been made endlessly and such schemes have a lousy track record. The reality is that submitting a tender is a time-consuming and costly process for small businesses – with no guarantee of success. And often, those that are successful end up making a loss anyway because they have to undercut others to win the contract.

“The fact is that politicians and policymakers simply do not understand what is involved in running a small business. There are so many ways that life could be made easier.

“So, we have another party in power and another set of changes. What most small business owners want is for politicians to stop moving the goalposts so that they can get on with employing people and running their businesses.

Places for People’s Chief Executive Officer Greg Reed said:

“Today marks a new dawn for our country, hopefully bringing a stability that Communities and industries across the UK have craved. The new Government must now put words into action and deliver the transformative national change it promised during its successful campaign. So much leads back to a lack of vital housing and Labour’s pledge to turbocharge housebuilding and invest in healthy Communities is very welcome.

“We’ve seen this housing crisis coming for many years and it’s getting worse every day. More people than ever before are homeless, fewer new affordable homes are being built, and social housing waiting lists are so long people can see neither the light nor the end. Urgent action is vital and we can be a key partner in helping the Government hit the ground running from day one.

“At PfP we will keep doing what we’re doing. We will keep building homes at scale with the largest five-year pipeline in the sector. We will keep investing in people’s lives and generate hundreds of millions each year in social value. We will keep growing our health and wellbeing offer to add to our healthy communities’ programme and to the millions of people, young and old, who visit our Leisure centres each month.

“There will be challenges along the way, but we know what it takes to create, manage and support thriving Communities. There is no other organisation quite like us and we are ready to work alongside Government to reinvigorate the lives of Customers and Communities right across the country – and deliver lasting change for generations to come. The time for talking is over, it’s time to build.”

As the Labour landslide continues to show the country’s dissatisfaction with the outgoing governments policies and perhaps personalities, here is a refresher on what is promised, I wonder if anyone will be betting on these!

• Mandatory housebuilding targets for local authorities
• Build 1.5 million new homes over a five-year period
• Planned new towns with a minimum of 40% of affordable housing, using design codes
• 150,000 social and affordable homes a year
• ‘Freedom to Buy’ policy to get 80,000 people on to the housing ladder by making the government’s existing mortgage guarantee scheme permanent
• ‘First Dibs’ policy to give local people first refusal on homes in new development

• Agreed design standards for “gentle urban development”.
• Require combined and mayoral Authorities to strategically plan for housing growth in their areas.
• Combined authorities to receive new planning powers along with new freedoms and flexibilities to make better use of grant funding
• Planning passports for developers which meet design standards, allowing easier brownfield development
• Create new ‘grey belt’ land class for poor quality areas of the green belt with requirement for at least 50% affordable housing
• Reform planning system for onshore wind to allow more projects to go ahead
• Hire 300 more planning officers, paid for by increasing stamp duty on homes purchased by non-UK residents by 1%
• “Tough action” to ensure planning authorities have up-to-date local plans
• Strengthen presumption in favour of sustainable development

• Independent inquiry into HS2 to look into how future projects can avoid cost overruns
• Fully committed to Northern Powerhouse Rail
• Merge the National Infrastructure Commission and Infrastructure and Projects Authority into a new body called National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), which would have new powers.
• Designate prisons as ‘nationally significant’ projects in an effort to deliver 14,000 additional places by 2030

• Revamped apprenticeship levy to fund specialist training colleges
• Firms can use up to half of apprenticeships funds to train existing staff or pay for pre-apprenticeship training
• New law aiming to cut immigration by forcing government departments to draw up skills improvement plans in high migration sectors including construction

• £15bn on green investment a year (£4.7bn of which is new money)
• Upgrade five million homes to an EPC C rating over the course of the parliament
• Decarbonise UK power by 2030 under new body, Great British Energy
• Targets for faster approvals on renewable projects
• Double onshore wind, triple solar and quadruple offshore wind by 2030

MD of Dougall Baillie Associates calls on election candidates to focus on construction industry for innovation, sustainability and economic prosperity

As the UK General Election looms closer, the boss of one of the largest independent engineering consultancy firms in Scotland has made an urgent appeal to candidates of all parties to prioritise a number of key areas vital to the construction industry.

The plea by Fergus Adams, Managing Director of East Kilbride-based Dougall Baillie Associates (DBA), comes as the UK construction sector faces a wealth of challenges and remains impacted by rising costs of both materials and labour.

And, though longer-term prospects show some grounds for optimism, construction output fell again at the start of the year, according to the Office for National Statistics, with eight out of the nine components of the industry decreasing. Private commercial new work was down by 4%.

The sector’s importance was emphasised when it proved to be a rare success story throughout the pandemic, when many other sectors closed down. Figures from 2022 show that it contributed 7% of GDP and employed 9% of the entire UK workforce, according to the RICS.

Mr Adams said that infrastructure investment was one of the most important keys to a brighter future for the sector. He urged politicians to commit to sustained and strategic investment in UK-wide infrastructure projects, enhancing transport, energy, and digital networks to drive economic growth.

The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline, which relates to primarily to England, includes £379 billion of planned investment, £164 billion of which is planned for 2024/25, according to Government figures.

He added that it was vital to enhance funding for training programmes and apprenticeships to address the skills shortage. He said:

“As well as a pipeline of work, we need a pipeline of people coming through with the necessary skills to take us through an era of unprecedented transition.”

On sustainability, Mr Adams said that client demand and environmental regulation had already driven a revolution in the ways of working in the sector, although affordability was still a challenge for firms keen to adopt sustainable practices.

He said:

“Our next political leaders must promote green building practices and renewable energy integration, as well as incentivising sustainable construction methods to meet climate goals and reduce carbon footprints.”

He pointed out that regulatory stability was a core requirement for a successful industry and said that politicians should aim to provide a stable and clear regulatory framework to facilitate long-term planning and investment, rather than introducing short-term measures to suit parliamentary timescales.

With rising populations and an ageing housing stock across many parts of the UK, Mr Adams said that it was hardly surprising that many local authorities were declaring housing emergencies

He said:

“It is incumbent on whichever party comes into power after the 4^th of July to address the housing crisis by supporting policies that accelerate the delivery of affordable homes and streamline planning processes. Builders are ready to build if the conditions prevail that allow them to.”

Mr Adams, whose firm employs 41 people and works on major projects, said that focusing on these priorities would bolster the construction industry and foster innovation, sustainability, and economic prosperity.

A new device can measure carbon dioxide captured in concrete more simply and in a third of the time of current methods. Researchers at the University of Tokyo worked with engineers in industry to create the boxlike device called the concrete thermal gravimetry and gas analyzer. The device heats concrete samples to almost 1,000 degrees Celsius, causing the CO2 within to be released so it can be measured. Compared to the current technique, which involves a time-consuming and complicated process of crushing concrete samples into powder for sampling, this new method is simpler, more accurate and user-friendly. The researchers hope it will contribute to CO2 trading in the future, as the concrete and cement industry work towards offsetting their emissions as part of global targets to manage greenhouse gases.

Concrete is everywhere. We live in it, walk on it, even make movies and write songs about it. Ubiquitous in modern life and even way back in ancient Rome, this sturdy and durable material is a staple for construction projects around the world. But, it is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the process of making concrete and one of its key ingredients, cement, emits a considerable amount of greenhouse gases. It is estimated that 5-8% of all CO2 emissions from human activities to date are from cement production alone. However, concrete can now be used to store CO2, through methods of carbon capture, utilization and storage.

Achieving “net zero,” whereby the amount of CO2 taken out of the atmosphere is equal to the amount released, has become a cornerstone of international policies to tackle global warming. But to do this, we need to know what creates greenhouse gases and at what levels, and how much can be removed through different techniques.

Until now, finding out how much CO2 has been successfully captured in concrete was an extensive process. A cylinder block, about 10 centimeters in diameter and 20 cm high, would be taken and crushed in a way that it couldn’t react with the air (which would affect the results). Then a complicated and long process followed to turn it into a fine, uniform powder from which a small sample was taken for chemical analysis.

A new device, developed by researchers at the University of Tokyo with engineers in industry, can skip this time-consuming process. “We developed a new machine which can measure how much CO2 is fixed in concrete or cementitious material without having to crush it,” said Professor Ippei Maruyama from the Department of Architecture at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering. “Until now, there wasn’t a simple method to measure the amount of CO2 fixed in concrete, but with this device, we can shorten the time it takes to measure CO2 and increase the accuracy of the measurement.”

A specimen block is placed inside the device and then heated to 980 degrees Celsius. As the block heats up, gases including CO2 are released from the block, which can then be measured. This new process takes about one-third of the time of current methods, limiting the time the concrete can react with the air. Results showed that an accurate measurement could be taken even when CO2 was not uniformly distributed within the block.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo envisioned the concept and parts required for the device, while engineers at Rigaku Corp. then developed it. It was then verified by researchers at the University of Tokyo and Taiheiyo Consultants Co., Ltd.

“This device requires a suitably large space and special safety considerations, so for now, there are some limitations to its application,” said Maruyama. “However, after further tests, we hope to make this device commercially available, so that it can contribute to sound emissions trading in the concrete sector and support global efforts to reach carbon neutrality.”

Reference: Maruyama I, Noritake K, Hosoi Y, Takahashi H. Development of a large-scale thermogravimetry and gas analyzer for determining carbon in concrete. ACT.

Source: Technology Networks

A “tipping point” for Scotland’s construction industry as it faces aggregates crisis within 15 years

Less than 15 years’ worth of sands and aggregates left to quarry in Scotland’s current permitted reserves, warn Cumbernauld firm Brewster Brothers.

An award-winning Scottish company that’s already diverted almost one and a half million tonnes of construction waste from landfill says it’s imperative for the sector to move toward a more circular model, as the current permitted reserves in Scotland’s quarries will run out by the mid 2030s.

The most recent Aggregates and Minerals Survey done by the Scottish Government suggested that in 2019, there was only 18 years’ worth of sand and gravel left in Scotland’s quarries. The amount of recycled sand and aggregates supplied is on the rise, but can still grow enormously. The most recent report into how widespread the use of recycled aggregates is in Great Britain comes from the Mineral Products Association, which is the association for all aggregates producers, both virgin and recycled. Their report can be found here, but in essence says that in 2022, only 30% of the aggregates used were recycled. Below is a graph from the report detailing the amount of aggregates supplied in Great Britain over the last 70 years, and how much of that was recycled and secondary aggregates.

Any move toward the construction, demolition and excavation industries recycling more would be significant for Scotland’s net zero targets and circular economy ambitions. The sector generates 50% of Scotland’s waste, 40% of Scotland’s carbon emissions and is responsible for 50% of Scotland’s natural resource consumption.

Brewster Brothers, whose wash plants transform 100% of the excavated soils and rubble they process from the construction industry into high-value aggregates for reuse, believes there’s two mechanisms that could soon tip the balance in the right direction.

Firstly, SEPA recently consulted on its draft Integrated Authorisation Framework, which aims to provide a standardised, simplified, common framework for environmental authorisations in Scotland. This  represents a huge opportunity to drive more excavation waste up the waste hierarchy towards recycling, creating an increase in the supply of recycled aggregates

Secondly, the newly devolved Scottish Aggregates Tax could be set at a rate that incentivises everyone in construction to choose recycled sands and aggregates over their virgin equivalents. The devolved Scottish Aggregates Tax (SAT) is at Stage 3 of its journey through parliament in Holyrood, and will replace the UK Aggregates Levy. In a similar way to the UK Levy, SAT will put a small charge on the purchase of virgin sands and gravels. The current UK Levy is set at a rate that only makes virgin sands and gravels the same price as their recycled equivalents, whereas Brewster Brothers hopes that the new Scottish Tax will be set at a higher rate, giving a financial incentive to designers, procurers and contractors to choose recycled aggregates. The Aggregates Tax and Devolved Taxes Administration (Scotland) Bill is a framework bill, which means that the actual rate at which SAT will be set will be determined during a future Scottish Government Budget process.

Managing Director of Brewster Brothers Scott Brewster said:

“With less than fifteen years’ worth of sands and gravels left in Scotland’s quarries’ permitted reserves, this is a tipping point for Scotland. Either we can choose to open up more of the country to quarrying, or we can encourage the construction sector to recycle more of the waste products from excavation, and to buy recycled sands and aggregates to build with. At the moment, the waste hierarchy and duty of care is far too optional, and rather than recycling being mandatory, it is requested ‘where possible’ in planning and building regulations.

“The country also needs to use the Scottish Aggregates Tax as a springboard to incentivise further use of recycled aggregates and make them more competitive than their virgin equivalents. We have a huge opportunity here. According to SEPA, just 28% of UK aggregate demand is currently met with recycled aggregates. In Scotland, that number is 20%.”