PLASTICS: From Hero to Villain

Author Ashley Bateson

In the last 100 years plastic has gone from hero to villain, having a catalytic effect in transforming our buildings in the modern era. However, our industry needs to understand all the societal and environmental impacts to make more informed materials choices if we are to build a sustainable future.

With their remarkable versatility and affordability, plastics have revolutionised modern construction, underpinning technological advancements and societal progress. As an excellent insulator it enabled widespread electrification and became synonymous with the modern lifestyle through products such as the Bakelite radio, telephones and mobile devices. Plastic also helped to replace severely harmful materials such as asbestos insulation and lead pipes. However, plastic has now become so pervasive that we have sleepwalked into an environmental crisis. A plastic bag was recently found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, and microplastics have been found in snow samples in the death zone on Mount Everest.

Plastic consumption.

As we become more attuned to the sobering reality of single-use plastic consumption, there has been a public drive to reduce this which has resulted in initiatives such as the carrier bag charges implemented across Europe and UN continues its efforts to tighten plastic pollution laws.

Despite this pressure, global plastic production is predicted to double by 2050, and this is why we must look beyond single-use plastics. The construction industry directly accounts for 20% of plastic demand, and this is set to increase.

It is used in a variety of building elements including pipes, cables, seals, window frames, floor coverings, and thermal insulation. The longevity of plastic in buildings can be 25-35 years or so, and this creates problematic waste streams; especially when we consider building life cycles can be 60 years or more. We are also beginning to understand the health risks of plastics in buildings, especially when there are high levels of additives. The heavy reliance on plastics is also a barrier to the net zero carbon mission, with plastic production potentially becoming the most significant driver of oil demand globally as the energy sector decarbonises.

Recycling is often presented as a solution to the plastic crisis, but in practice this has some crucial limitations.

Due to the diversity of plastic types, it is difficult to sort and efficiently process waste streams. Many plastic types diminish in quality in the process, such as PVC, meaning that they can only be downcycled to inferior uses. As a result, recycled plastic is often more expensive to produce, severely impeding its uptake. While recycling should be promoted due to its ability to reduce waste and optimise plastic production, it does little to solve the consumption side of the problem.

Alternatives.

Alternative materials such as aluminium, glass and timber should be considered instead for some applications. Mineral wool is often a suitable low-carbon thermal insulation material compared to expanded polystyrene.  Timber window frames are a suitable alternative to PVC window frames, which are much more common in Europe. Clay drains can be a suitable alternative to plastic drainpipes and cast iron rainwater pipes can last much longer than plastic rainwater pipes, and are less prone to physical damage.

The hard truth is that the main reason for selecting plastic building materials is often short-termism, or prioritising lowest initial cost rather than taking a life-cycle perspective.

Sustainable materials can make sense with a long-term view, where the benefits of resilience, durability, ability for reuse and more efficient recycling loops come into play. Short-termism also obscures the negative externalities of waste, where the polluter pays principle often isn’t applied.

Conclusion.

To bend the plastics curve and remediate the carbon cost and plastic waste crises, we need to take holistic, systemic approaches that inherently reduce production and consumption. This will require making informed long-term decisions that account for the true cost of the materials we consume. Innovation can play a role, from new recycling processes, materials or circular ‘product as a service’ business models but a wider cultural shift to stewardship is needed to achieve a truly transformative effect that addresses consumption. It is only by recognising that the plastic crisis is so deeply engrained in society that we can begin to design an entirely new sustainable paradigm for the future.

Source: Hoare Lea

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Will Britain Ever Build Enough Houses?

Housing planning reform is high on the political agenda as we head towards the general election

Our 2024 outlook for the UK homebuilding sector is negative. While the UK’s housing underdevelopment is a long-term positive for homebuilders, current industry and economic headwinds will continue to hinder development as homebuilders navigate current market uncertainty.

By the end of 2024, the UK will most likely be headed to the polls. Housing planning reform is high on the political agenda as the current planning system is one of the barriers to housing affordability. Ultimately, the path to affordable housing is through increased supply. While Britain’s two main political parties are targeting 300,000 new homes built per year, builders have constantly fallen short of this target.

Although we are cautiously hopeful of a housing market rebound, partly because of the stabilisation of interest rates and building costs, builders continue to face a myriad of ongoing challenges, making achieving this target in the near term an uphill battle. Among these challenges are upcoming regulatory changes, considerable red tape, a shortage of small builders, a tight labour market, and incentives required to attract new homebuyers, all of which affect homebuilder profitability and, consequently, the number of homes completed.

Notwithstanding the government’s plan for increased housing, we anticipate builders will continue to tread cautiously and manage housing delivery with an eye toward maintaining their own profitability, while continuing to invest for the future.

Poor Quality Housing

According to a report from Resolution Foundation, about one in 10 people across the UK (roughly 6.5 million) live in poor quality housing – defined as homes that are not in a good state of repair, where heating, electronics, or plumbing are not in good working order, and where damp is present.

The report states that poor quality housing is concentrated among young people, low-income families and those from ethnic minority backgrounds. Moreover, the UK population is projected to grow from approximately 67 million as of mid-2021 to 70 million by mid-2026 and further to 73.7 million by mid-2036, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Despite the UK’s considerable need for housing, new housing remains muted amid significant property development challenges. The expectation of interest rate cuts in 2024 should be positive for housing affordability and some demand. However, given the constrained supply, housing prices will likely remain elevated until supply and demand dynamics normalise.

A complicated planning system and considerable regulatory hurdles continue to make homebuilding inefficient. New development permits follow a complex process and lengthy wait times resulting in a slow pace of development and increased costs. The UK government is pushing for reform with efforts towards prioritizing brownfield development and speeding up the planning system. However, it is yet to be seen whether the current government will be more successful than its predecessors on this front.

Regulatory Changes Coming in Housing

The “Future Homes Standard” is part of the UK government’s plan to deliver zero-carbon homes by 2025. The standard will ensure that new homes are future-proofed and produce a minimum 75% lower CO2 emissions than those built to current standards. The standard prioritises low-carbon heating systems and focuses on the efficiency of a building by improving insulation and minimizing heat loss.

These changes will require builders and their subtrades to enhance their skills through training and adoption of new technologies. Beyond the increased cost to builders, companies are likely to face other challenges such as design changes, lack of expertise, and potential issues arising from managing new supply chains and the maintenance of lowcarbon heat pumps. While larger homebuilders have likely begun the transition process with their design teams, we expect smaller homebuilders may struggle throughout the transition period, with regard to the added costs and training required to develop the technical understanding of the new regulations.

Biggest Housebuilders Take Charge

Historically, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) played a significant role in the housing market. Unlike national homebuilders, SMEs are often embedded within the communities they build, making them the most suitable to assess local need.

Forty years ago, SME builders (those that focus on only a handful of sites at one time) delivered 40% of homes. Today, this figure is closer to 12% as larger developers such as Barratt Developments (BDEV), Taylor Wimpey (TW.), and Persimmon (PSN) dominate the building landscape. Over the years, SME builders have been disproportionately affected by bureaucracy and challenges accessing suitable land.

Land is typically sold via a competitive process and the number of sites under 100 plots (i.e., those for which SMEs would typically compete) have fallen consistently since 2016. We expect operating pressures will continue to have a greater impact on SMEs. Unless there is significant government reform encouraging SME builders, we believe the problem will only get worse as large builders gain market share and continue to benefit from their economies of scale as it relates to land acquisition, preferential subtrade scheduling, and materials pricing.

Affordability Affects Profitability

According to the Office for National Statistics, over the last 25 years, housing affordability has worsened in every local authority, especially in London and the surrounding areas. In 1997, 89% of local authorities had an affordability ratio of less than five times workers’ earnings, whereas only 7% had this level of affordability in 2022. There are significant differences in affordability across the country and regionally, London continues to have the lowest affordability, while Scotland and Ireland are the most affordable.

Uncertainty around homeowner affordability affects builders in several ways. In an uncertain market, builders increasingly need to offer incentives to attract new homebuyers. Such incentives, including upgrades, price reductions, waived closing costs, or reduced interest rates, affect project profitability. Despite the Government’s initiatives to boost development, we expect most developers will be required to continue to adjust prices and offer incentives to improve homebuyer affordability and drive demand. Therefore, we expect builder profitability to remain under pressure.

The UK Trade Skills Index 2023 report has highlighted the need for 937,000 new recruits by 2032 to bridge the skills gap in the construction and trades industry. Of this, nearly a quarter of a million (244,000) must be qualified apprentices to fill a growing gap. The UK’s tight skilled trades market has extended construction timelines, raised costs, and impeded productivity. Solutions to these labour challenges are critical for the homebuilding sector. Looking ahead, we expect construction and financing cost inflation to ease; however, we believe the shortage of skilled labour will continue to hinder development. Until there is significant progress on this front, builders will continue to struggle with their own productivity and that of their trades, which will further extend timelines and could lead to additional labour cost inflation.

Big Builders Don’t Provide Low-Income Housing

According to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), at least 10% of each major housing development must consist of affordable homes. Outside of these requirements, homebuilders may have less incentive to provide housing aimed at consumers in low-income brackets, despite the wider social benefits. Homebuilders that focus on the step-up or luxury market are in a better position than those focused on first-time homebuyers. Not only is the demand for these types of housing less cyclical, but they are typically more profitable.

Helping qualifying individuals into homeownership is a highly political topic. The Government has in place several schemes to help support first-time homebuyers and those in low-income brackets. For example, “Help to Buy” was introduced in 2013 and ended in March 2023. This Government-backed scheme gave first-time homebuyers extra money to buy their first home. If potential homebuyers saved up 5% for a deposit, the Government granted a loan of up to 20%, interest free for up to five years. Approximately 292,000 properties were purchased using this scheme as the Government provided loans totaling over £17 billion.

Reform Needed to Build More Houses

Although this scheme has now drawn to a close, there are other options to support homeownership such as the “Shared Ownership” or “Rent to Buy” programmes. However, without adequate housing supply in place, these schemes exacerbate the same housing problem they are trying to solve.

The recent stabilisation of finance and construction costs is a positive signal for homebuilders and buyers alike. However, development challenges continue to restrain homebuilding activity and require significant government reform to reduce the red tape and ease restrictive planning regulations, lower the barriers to entry that prevent SMEs from competing, and attract skilled workers.

Resolving these issues requires significant reform from policymakers and would create an environment conducive to higher homebuilding. We expect housing plans for both political parties will continue to fall under intense scrutiny until election day. It remains to be seen whether either party’s planned reforms will be enough to move the needle and finally deliver on their promises.

Source: Morning Star

 

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The Technological Advancements in Offshore Wind

BladeBUG in action. Photo: Department for Business and Trade

From F1 to blade robotics: Five innovations in UK offshore wind

The UK has positioned itself as a leader in the offshore wind sector, but what ground-breaking technology is driving its growth?

With world-leading offshore wind clusters and catapults, and a $1tn tech economy, the UK boasts high calibre innovation and expertise in the offshore wind supply chain. Particular strengths include:

  • farm development,
  • cutting-edge service technologies,
  • a highly-skilled workforce,
  • project planning and consultancy, through to maintenance and repurposing.

This has allowed the UK to push boundaries in offshore wind innovations, which in turn is making the industry safer, more productive and better connected.

 

Robotics

BladeBUG is a deep tech company providing advanced robotics and integrated inspection, maintenance and repair solutions across the renewable energy sector. It improves wind turbine performance and revenue generation through proactive and predictive maintenance, reducing asset downtime, unplanned events and catastrophic failures, which can all have a significant impact on the cost of energy.

Designed to be cost-effective, safer and faster than conventional methods of inspection, the compact, agile and multifunctional robots are being developed to work offshore to de-risk operations and make good use of narrowing weather windows. One of BladeBUG’s unique features is a modular payload bay that enables the integration of industry standard and customised tools to bolster capability, whether collecting high quality data sets or performing highly repeatable processes with greater accuracy.

 

How F1-inspired advanced engineering is increasing AEP

With engineering expertise honed in Formula One motor-racing, Anakata is a leader in aerodynamic innovation; providing pioneering approaches to improving wind turbine performance. Uniquely designed blade furniture, which can also be retrofitted onto operational turbines, helps improve energy capture by up to 5% per annum. Tailored to each turbine type, Anakata have had its parts installed on all key manufacturers’ turbines, including Siemens, Vestas, Gamesa and Nordex since 2016. The company works with wind farm owners, asset managers and turbine manufacturers to improve operational performance.

Anakata recently launched the SuperAero Tip Booster (SATIP) to meet the specific needs of offshore; featuring 3D multilayer leading-edge protection, a ridged leading edge to enhance performance and reduce unsteady loads, and an advanced blade lightning protection system to improve blade integrity.

The SATIP design is also focused on reducing the impact of turbine wakes. It mixes the edges of a blade’s wake better, meaning that the wake is compressed and collapses at a faster rate, helping to improve the wind regime for downstream turbines, further improving Annual Energy Production (AEP).

5G connectivity in hazardous offshore environments

A 5G ‘living lab’ test centre in Humberside allows technology providers to develop, test and demonstrate in real world conditions, with access to reliable, high-speed communications.

For example, JET Connectivity’s solar-powered 5G buoy works in conjunction with fifteen 5G radio transmitters across five sites, including four wind turbines and a radio mast in the port, to provide an extended private 5G network over a 45km2 area. It is a crucial part of the new ‘5G PORTAL’ that will accelerate development of a new generation of digital technologies essential to the vast global expansion of offshore wind farms.

The lab is open to users from across the global offshore wind sector and provides a real-world test and demonstration zone for robotics, AI, remote sensors, wearable technology, zero emission vessels and smart ports – driving forward the digital evolution of the next generation of wind farms.

 

UK catapults – global hubs of innovation

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) catapult has become one of the world’s leading innovation centres for offshore renewable energy and uses its unique testing capabilities linked to technology development and late stage R&D, analysis, supply chain acceleration, and applied research, to de-risk and supercharge innovation in the offshore renewable energy sector.

In line with the growing global opportunity for floating offshore, with potential for over 10GW of installed capacity by 2030, the new Floating Wind Innovation Centre in Aberdeen, opening in March 2024, will accelerate the build-out of floating farms and drive innovations in manufacturing, installation and O&M. The centre is the first in the world dedicated purely to the development of technology solutions linked to floating wind.

 

How to develop your energy innovation in the UK

The UK’s innovation ecosystem doesn’t exist in a bubble, with international businesses playing a massive role. Kavaken is a Turkish cleantech company that has recently set up its headquarters in Newcastle. It accessed support via the UK’s Global Entrepreneur Programme and Tech Rocketship Awards and is now developing its business further with the help of the ORE catapult. Kavaken’s software helps to identify potential faults and malfunctions to improve productivity in renewables. The company has benefitted from the UK’s cluster system, allowing it to access new contacts, funding opportunities and customers.

 

 

In 2024, the Tech Rocketship Awards have been rebranded as the Unicorn Kingdom Pathfinder Awards and are looking for scaleups and innovators in the energy space.  Companies are invited to apply before 31 April 2024.

Source: Recharge

 

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Wernick Group proudly announces its 90th anniversary

      

Marking a significant milestone in the company’s rich history of delivering innovative and sustainable modular solutions

 

The Wernick Group of companies has a proud legacy stretching back to 1934, growing from a humble maker of poultry crates to becoming Britain’s largest family-owned provider of portable and modular buildings, and off-grid power solutions.

Since its founding, the business has been at the forefront of the modular building industry. Whilst maintaining an enduring status as a family-owned and run business over the past nine decades, Wernick continues its mission to improve people’s lives through the provision of sustainable buildings and infrastructure.

 

CEO Jonathan Wernick, commented,

“Samuel Wernick, my great-grandfather, started his working life as a poultry dealer. He manufactured wooden crates to transport the chickens which led him to start manufacturing as a commercial enterprise. It was Sam’s ability to adapt to the opportunity of manufacturing these crates that led to the birth of the Wernick Group a few years later. This ability to adapt quickly to opportunities remains one of the key strengths of the Wernick Group 90 years later. He would be immensely proud of everything the company has achieved over that time.

 

Today, the Wernick Group consists of six distinct businesses: Wernick Buildings, Wernick Hire, Wernick Refurbished Buildings, Wernick Events, Wernick AVDanzer, and Wernick Power Solutions. Each company within the group holds focal importance in delivering comprehensive and tailored solutions to meet the evolving needs of its clients.

The last decade, in particular, has seen a vigorous expansion through a combination of shrewd acquisitions and organic growth. The Wernick Group currently has forty operating centres throughout the UK, working across both the public and private sectors. The Group of companies combine to offer the sale and hire of permanent and temporary modular buildings, site accommodation, and off-grid power solutions.

Wernick Group’s Chairman David Wernick commented,

“We are a 4th generation company with my son Jonathan running the Group as CEO. We take great pride in what we’ve achieved over the last 90 years and are incredibly grateful for the dedication of our employees during this period.”

CLICK HERE and vist the WERNICK WEBSITE

 

 

 

 

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UK ENERGY: AI Opportunities and Challenges

From smart meters to smart resource management, we get a guided tour around artificial applications at grid and consumer level, to better understand how algorithms are increasingly running our power supplies. 

Many of the worst environmental catastrophes we face today, including those here in the UK, are the direct result of the energy industry. Fossil-fuel-burning power plants are the second largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions and have many other consequences, including the emission of airborne mercury. Understandably, there has been an increased push for renewable energy, but this transition is easier said than done, considering how dependent our infrastructure is on fossil fuels.

Chief among the obstacles to adopting renewable energy is that power grids become significantly more difficult to manage when additional power sources — particularly from non-traditional sources, such as renewable energy — are introduced. Thankfully, innovations in technology such as artificial intelligence have been introduced, allowing UK energy companies to manage their production and output more effectively, serving as an essential first step toward a greener future.

How artificial intelligence enables smart resource management in the energy sector
Artificial intelligence technology is poised to ignite a revolution in the UK’s energy sector thanks to two main capabilities: data analysis and predictive analytics. When combined, these two functions of AI allow people to effectively pursue smart resource management in ways that were once thought impossible and enable the energy sector to significantly curb the negative environmental impact it is causing.

At its core, smart resource management is an approach to resource use — including energy — that aims to maximize output while minimizing cost and environmental impact. Artificial intelligence models can enable UK homeowners and businesses to achieve smart resource management by providing unprecedented levels of insight into energy consumption and efficiency.

Understanding smart resource management in the energy sector
For those hoping to achieve smart resource management, there are three essential qualities to prioritize. Reducing cost and environmental impact of operations – the fundamental aspect of smart resource management is reducing operations’ cost and environmental impact. Companies can use artificial intelligence to better manage the use and production of power, thereby minimizing overproduction.

Minimizing operational and supply risks – smart resource management also requires producers and consumers to minimize the risk of disruption. One of the reasons why renewable energy has not yet been embraced on a wider scale is its relatively unreliable nature. For example, solar power grids cannot produce electricity at night or in severely cloudy situations, and wind fields are less efficient in times of low wind. AI predictive analytics can allow resource companies to forecast the productivity of their renewable energy sources, allowing them to adjust production and use to account for these changes.

Capturing new growth opportunities – the final aspect of smart resource management is the ability to grow sustainably. Using artificial intelligence and its predictive analytics capabilities, renewable energy companies can more effectively identify potential sites for development. For example, a solar power company in the UK can use an AI model to analyze data about climate, sun exposure, and other factors to determine ideal locations for new arrays.

Smart meters: A groundbreaking use case for AI in the energy sector
The most obvious use case of artificial intelligence in smart resource management is the smart meter. Like traditional power meters, a smart meter’s primary purpose is to track a building’s power consumption, but smart meters can also provide real-time insights to both occupants and energy companies into the real-time energy use of that building. This data can then be analyzed using artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency of energy production and use.

By providing better real-time insights into data use, smart meters have the potential to curb the UK’s overall energy consumption significantly. AI models can give suggestions to both individual homeowners and energy providers using smart meter data to help them improve their energy consumption habits.

However, the benefits of analyzing smart meter data using AI don’t stop with sustainability — UK consumers and energy companies alike will be rewarded with savings for improving the efficiency of their energy consumption. According to some experts, individuals could see as much as 30% savings if they follow the energy efficiency recommendations of artificial intelligence using smart meter data, meaning homeowners are doubly incentivized to improve their homes.

How UK regulation affects AI use in the energy sector
UK landowners may also be required to implement some of these improvements if they hope to rent out their properties. The regulations known as the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) require commercial properties — both residential and non-residential — to meet guidelines of energy efficiency and carbon emissions or face a substantial fine. Analytics powered by artificial intelligence can help guide owners to make wiser, more efficient decisions regarding their energy efficiency.

It’s important to remember that UK regulations are based around a seven-year “payback period,” which means landlords are only expected to implement improvements that will lead to cost savings greater than their investment after seven years. In other words, homeowners’ investments in their eco-friendliness will pay for themselves.

AI models can identify anomalies in energy consumption almost immediately, allowing landowners to repair systems and get consumption levels back on track quickly. Systems can also be analyzed to determine when preventative maintenance may be required, allowing owners to ensure systems are consistently operating at peak efficiency.

Still, it isn’t only environmental regulations that companies using AI to improve their efficiency must consider. Companies must also ensure they maintain compliance with any regulations that may be in place regarding the use of artificial intelligence technology. Recently, the UK introduced a framework for AI use designed to encourage technology innovation while protecting the safety of all involved. Although this framework is not yet codified into law, it establishes an expectation of data privacy, transparency, and fairness that energy companies will be expected to follow.

It is more apparent than ever before that something needs to be done about the environmental destruction caused by the energy industry — and soon. Thankfully, artificial intelligence provides a very real solution to many of the problems the energy industry suffers, as it will allow both consumers and producers to achieve smart resource management at levels hitherto unattainable. Although the energy sector is historically reluctant to embrace new technological paradigms, the potential implications of artificial intelligence on sustainability must not be ignored.

 

Source: Environmental Journal

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Building Technology: The Lingering Effects 2008

Seamus Hoyne, dean of flexible and workplace learning at the Technological University of the Shannon

With smart infrastructure and zero-energy building on the agenda, new skills are in demand right across the construction sector. Paradoxically, however, due to high demand for new buildings and diminished numbers of skilled workers, many people working in the industry are unable to access traditional training as they are simply too busy.

Seamus Hoyne, dean of flexible and workplace learning at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), said the sector was still suffering from the lingering effects of the 2008 financial crisis.

“There were a couple of impacts. Firstly, a lot of people became unemployed and went elsewhere, so we lost a lot of experience and know-how. The second thing is, many people who came to work here from elsewhere in Europe returned home as the economies there started to grow. Thirdly, it created an image problem for construction and enrolment in construction related courses,” he said.

At the same time, though, the sector has been revolutionised, both by a technological revolution and the introduction of new building energy standards. As a result, new skills are now needed on-site.

“There have been radical changes,” Hoyne said.

“We have modern methods of construction and we have a lot of digitalisation of the construction process, in particular of the design phase. Our architects, engineers and quantity surveyors are much more digitised”.

The traditional trades are changing, too, Hoyne said, notably with a greater number of integrated systems due to smart energy systems into buildings.

“The pace of development of technology is extremely fast and this means people need to keep learning. In the past, if you were a construction worker then you needed less up-skilling. Now you need to be updating your knowledge over the course of your career,” he said.

“When you graduate from your apprenticeship, or your engineering or quantity surveying degree, you absolutely need life-long learning because of changes that are going to happen in the near future,” he said.

However, considering both the major labour shortage in construction and demand for building, it is essential, Hoyne said, that education and training providers needed to change how they delivered skills.

“Really flexible delivery and provision is now critical, particularly in the construction sector where we have full employment nationally. The sector is desperately looking for workers, so people have less time for training,” he said.

Both the higher education and further education sectors were responding to this, with innovative and flexible approaches that suited both learners and businesses alike.

“We have blended learning, with a portion online and a portion as ‘block release’ where people can do the practical aspects. You also have micro accreditations, where you can do blocks of learning to get a major award,” he said.

TUS, for example, embeds micro credentials in its programmes, and has now developed a Level 8 Higher Diploma in Energy Retrofitting.

“It’s looking at fabric, systems, and retrofit management. People can do those certifications on their own, do the whole diploma, or add the three up to the Higher Diploma,” he said.

This was only one example of how education was evolving to meet the country’s needs, Hoyne said. Another is the deepening links between the further and higher education sectors.

“For example, we are working closely with Waterford-Wexford ETB, Laois-Offaly ETB and others and we are offering a certificate in training in Zero-Energy Building for people who work in ETBs,” he said.

TUS also brings students to the National Construction Training Centre in Mount Lucas to take advantage of its facilities.

Putting it on show

The next step is getting the information out there, both to employers and prospective students. In order to do this, Hoyne will be among the attendees at a major event next month looking at how technology and training are intersecting, representing TUS.

Organised by the Digital Academy for the Sustainable Built Environment (DASBE) with partners including Atlantic Technological University, Irish Green Building Council and Tipperary Energy Agency, the Transforming Construction Skills conference, to be held on 9th May at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise, will bring together industry professionals, educators, professional organisations and researchers to discuss the range of upskilling available to construction professionals and to discover the latest trends and emerging technologies.

“We’ve three themes driving the content in the conference. One is around impact, one is around innovation, and the third is around integration,” he said.

Attendees will hear from students funded under the DASBE scheme as well as organisations and businesses who have collaborated in the development of programmes. Technologies on display will include virtual reality (VR) and digital twins.

“On integration, we’ll hear about how we have collaborated with ETBs [Education and Training Boards] on innovation, as well as on European initiatives,” Hoyne said.

Ultimately, he said, the conference will be a major step toward addressing both the skills shortage and the reality of how busy construction firms and their workers are.

“We don’t have enough quantity surveyors coming out of universities – they’re being snapped-up in third year or fourth year, [and] we don’t have enough people going into apprenticeships in plumbing and blockwork. We also have people working in the sector who need up-skilling who are very busy due to the shortage”.

The Transforming Construction Skills conference intends to put the solutions on show.

 

Source: Business Post

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Barnsley Young Achiever one of the Top 100

A BARNSLEY building material specialist has been recognised for his commitment to the industry.

Luke Hoyle, who’s based out at Carlton Manufacturing, has been named as one of the top 100 young achievers across the sector.

National trade body the Builders’ Merchants’ Federation (BMF) and Builders’ Merchants News (BMN), joined forces to identify the top 100 across the multi-billion pound building materials sector, and shine a light on the brightest stars of the future.

Luke said: “I feel very privileged to have been nominated as a Top 100 Young Achiever.

“Hard work really does pay off when you put your mind to it and I cannot wait to meet other like-minded people at the awards.”

Source: WeareBarnsley

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Golden Rules to Boost Housing

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner

are expected to set out their ‘golden rules’ for releasing green belt land (Jacob King/PA)

Labour to set out golden rules for grey belt in bid to boost housing

The party plans to release ugly, low-quality parts of the green belt to help meet its housebuilding targets if it wins power.

Labour is expected to set out five “golden rules” for building on the green belt in an effort to boost housebuilding while improving “genuine green spaces”.

The rules, to be laid out on Friday, include prioritising previously developed brownfield sites and areas of ugly or poor-quality land that the party has dubbed “grey belt”.

Labour has previously pledged to build 1.5 million homes over the course of the next Parliament, replicating the Conservatives’ 2019 promise to build 300,000 homes per year.

While the party has committed to a “brownfield-first approach”, its plans also include releasing some green belt land in areas without enough brownfield sites and where that land is of poor quality, such as in Tottenham where a development was blocked because a disused petrol station was designated as green belt.

We cannot build the homes Britain needs without also releasing some land currently classed as green belt – Sir Keir Starmer

 

Blaming the Conservatives for creating a “housing emergency” that is “engulfing a generation of hard-working aspirational people”, Sir Keir Starmer said his party would “get tough on the blockers”.

He said: “Labour supports brownfield-first policies. But we must be honest, we cannot build the homes Britain needs without also releasing some land currently classed as green belt.

“We’ll prioritise ugly, disused grey belt land, and set tough new conditions for releasing that land. Our golden rules will also ensure any grey belt development delivers affordable homes, new infrastructure and improved green spaces.”

As well as providing a “brownfield-first” approach and creating a “grey belt” category, Labour said it would require homes built on released land to provide at least 50% affordable housing and include plans to improve public services and local infrastructure.

The party will also rule out building on “genuine nature spots” and will require developers to include improvements to existing green spaces in their plans.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner said grey belt land

“should not be off limits while local people are kept off the housing ladder”, adding that much of the green belt “isn’t green, rolling hills, but poor-quality scrubland, mothballed on the outskirts of town”.

She said: “Labour has a plan for smarter green belt release, underpinned by strong rules to tackle the housing emergency and build the homes we need.”

Housebuilders have welcomed Labour’s plans, with National Housing Federation chief executive Kate Henderson saying it is

“right to consider how our approach to the green belt can better serve our country and our communities”.

She said: “We strongly support plans to use this ‘grey belt’ to tackle the housing crisis, and to deliver a minimum of 50% affordable homes.”

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders, said:

“Prioritising grey belt and pairing it with golden rules would ensure green space loss is mitigated, vital supporting infrastructure is delivered and both builders and local people get planning and place-making certainty.

“It’s a win for all parties, which is why we support it.”

Housebuilding has risen since the last election, with 202,300 new homes started in 2022/23 compared to 187,870 in 2019/20, returning to levels last seen just before the financial crash.

But planning applications have fallen since the middle of 2022, with Labour blaming the planning system and the Government’s decision to scrap mandatory housing targets in the face of backbench pressure.

Natural England chairman Tony Juniper has also advocated limited building on the green belt, telling The Guardian last year an “oppositional mindset” does not reflect reality.

Conservative Party Chairman, Richard Holden MP said the announcement was a

 

“desperate attempt to distract from the Angela Rayner scandal and Sir Keir Starmer’s failure to get a grip of the details”.

He added: “Labour’s policy is to ignore the concerns and voices of local people. It is the same approach they took to ULEZ and that is why they will fail.

“Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives will respect local communities building the right homes in the right places which has delivered one million homes over this Parliament and sticking to the plan to reduce inflation and get mortgage rates down to help first-time buyers.”

Source: Shropshire Star

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PLANNING: Reform without affordability will fail to solve UK Housing Crisis

The UK should learn from successful planning policies that have deliberately prioritised affordable housing and are ambitious in nature, such as those implemented in the American city of Minneapolis.

In a paper out today, the Social Market Foundation reviews evidence from comparable English-speaking countries – the USA, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand – and finds that planning reforms often fail due to insufficient ambition and a failure to insist upon affordability requirements for new construction.

Planning reform is increasingly seen as the ‘silver bullet’ to addressing the UK’s housing woes, with politicians promising that it will make homebuilding easier, increasing supply and, through that, decreasing price. Labour has pledged to increase housing capacity by requiring authorities in England to meet housing demand and, if necessary, stepping in to local plans to increase the capacity of existing property. Housing Secretary Michael Gove recently updated brownfield planning regulations – but due to the limited scope of his changes, the plan is likely to increase housing stock in selected towns and cities by just 0.78%, and increase UK housing stock by a mere 0.5%, SMF analysis notes.

Evidence from United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand suggests that planning reform in these countries often fails to increase supply, and even where it does, it is uncertain if prices come down:

  • In California, supply failed to increase because policymakers watered down regulations by limiting eligibility and reducing the covered areas. Further limits to building size, area, density, and design continues to slow housing construction.
  • Even where new units are built, there is no guarantee they will be affordable. New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Brisbane all saw prices increase in areas where planning was reformed. This was the result of land value increasing, pushing up prices and pushing out residents.

The planning reform strategy adopted in Minneapolis shows the way forward, and should be emulated by the UK, the SMF said. Minneapolis targeted both supply and demand.

  • To increase supply: city officials slashed burdensome minimum parking requirements, which would have meant losing many acres of land for parking space or costly basement car parks, while embarking on planning reforms between 2009 and 2018. Construction doubled over that time, and it now leads midwestern cities for dwelling units permitted.
  • On the demand side: rental assistance and subsidies were increased, and affordable housing regulations introduced, so that prices remained low. Minneapolis’ affordability requirements follow a 60-30-20 rule, ensuring households earning 60% of the local area’s median income do not need to pay more than 30% of their wages on rent or mortgage payments in 20% of units. Rents have since stabilised, rising just 1% since 2017 while the average US rent increased 30%.

By boosting supply while introducing affordability requirements, Minneapolis has stopped the persistent price increases seen elsewhere, the SMF notes.

For planning reform to succeed in ensuring more genuinely affordable housing in the UK, government strategy has to be two-fold. To ensure reforms lead to more units being built, plans must be ambitious and holistic. They must apply to large geographic areas (such as cities or local authorities) and changed regulations must remove technical barriers like height limits, parking minimums, and floor-space requirements which are preventing multi-units from being built, while protecting quality and wellbeing. Secondly, to ensure the supply is affordable, current housing affordability requirements – which are simply based on 20% of the market rate – should be  replaced,  the SMF recommends.

Essentially, policymakers should:

  • Ensure any planning reforms are ambitious enough to greatly increase supply at the scale required by:
    • Maximising the land which is available to housing development
    • Maximising the unit density which can be built on this land
  • Undertake a holistic approach to planning reform in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and local plans by:
    • Recognising the need for granular reforms such as parking requirements, height minimums, and other constraints not targeted by certain reforms
    • Making certain regulations related to planning reform, capacity, and affordability mandatory for Local Planning Authorities
  • Introduce blanket planning reforms rather than a piecemeal approach by:
  • Applying reforms made to the NPPF across the UK and, where relevant, devolved nations
  • Ensuring design codes and targets are introduced at a Local Authority level, and avoiding more specific targetting
  • Include demand-side interventions which mandate affordability to avoid the gentrification that can result from planning reform by:
    • Establishing a definition of affordable housing based on household income and median local wages
    • Increasing the size and eligibility of housing benefits or by increasing the proportion of new housing units which must be made affordable

 

This SMF paper looking at planning reform, is the final part in a series, kindly funded by the Nuffield Foundation, exploring housing policy solutions across the Anglosphere (English-speaking countries). Previous papers explored homeownership financial policies, social housing and co-ops, and rental rights and support.

 

Gideon Salutin, Senior Researcher at Social Market Foundation, said:
“Contrary to popular belief, planning reform will not automatically unlock housing supply and make homes affordable. Advocates and politicians promising big payoffs are making a risky gamble.

It would be better to implement planning reforms more strategically, and have affordability baked into it so that new units are affordable. Planning reform needs to be ambitious in scale, remove all barriers to maximise dense building, and mandate affordability – to even get a start on addressing our housing woes. We have seen this strategy work in Minneapolis, and we should look to emulate it.”

Sam Richards, founder of Britain Remade, said:

“Reforming the planning system is the most important pro-growth policy lever we have. So, It’s vital that we get it right by learning from the reforms that actually got more homes built in cities around the world.

Not only is the lack of housing stopping people getting on the housing ladder, it’s crippling economic growth. If we build the homes Britain needs, tens of billions of pounds would be pumped into the economy, thousands of jobs would be created and Treasury coffers would swell. Politicians must act otherwise they’re condemning a generation of young people to sky-high rents while the dream of homeownership withers and dies.”

Dr Catherine Dennison, Programme Head at Nuffield Foundation, said:

“The next UK government will face a long list of challenges on housing, and planning policy will be a key area for reform. The SMF’s analysis tells us other countries have struggled with this, but crucially provides guiding principles from more successful international examples. The Foundation is funding this project ahead of the general election, to supply analytical context to contribute to the development of policies and pledges by political parties, and inform voters.”

Source: Social Market Foundation

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Timber Roadmap to Unlock UK Net Zero

By Martin Guttridge-Hewitt

 

Travelling via northern Sweden, we explore the potential of wooden structures to reduce carbon footprints, and ask if a new UK roadmap can finally unlock the material’s potential to drive net zero development.

It’s an early-February evening and Skellefteå is bathed in the glow of streetlights and pure white snow. Life here feels frozen in a moment, which at -15C on arrival, is completely understandable.

But appearances deceive, and this corner of the subarctic moves fast. As the region’s Market and Business Development Manager, Bo Wilkstrom tells us, specialised industries are fuelling rapid population growth, and turning this small town into Sweden’s net zero transition testbed. Authorities now have a big ambition to ‘become global frontrunner, take risks, and build a new society’ around principles of renewability and sustainability. Some people even come as tourists because they ‘want to see, want to know’ about the latest climate tech, transport, and energy developments.

Most visitors will arrive through the carbon neutral airport, which is also home to one of the world’s only electric aviation schools, using planes it is hoped will one day be the go-to modality for short distance commutes. Many take buses that run on entirely organic waste. All will use 100% renewable electricity for the duration of their time here, and the lucky ones might stay at Wood Hotel by Elite.

The second tallest timber-framed tower on the planet, this 20-storey prefabricated skyscraper also houses Sara Kulturhus, an arts venue with six stages, the largest seating 1,700 people, and a ground floor foyer doubling up as indoor public realm, serving everything from Sunday morning yoga to pre-theatre drinks, safely protected from the perishing conditions outside. Skellefteå’s municipal library is here, too.

Lumber had a huge impact on the footprint of this address. Considered among the most advanced timber buildings ever created, it absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO2) that it emits, even when all 205 rooms are occupied. In total, 12,000 m3 of wood was used, sourced from within 60km of the hotel. Forests that supplied other projects in town, like the historic Lejonströmsbron wooden bridge, dated 1737, and a modern three-storey car park made of plywood.

In Sweden, 70% of land is forest, and the timber industry is well managed and environmentally controlled. Producing 18million m3 of lumber each year, even with 13million bound for export there’s enough to produce 90% of all low-rise builds in the country. And larger scale developments are also becoming increasingly visible, like Stockholm’s aptly named Wood City.

‘There are timber buildings in London, but most have traditional steel frame and concrete core,’

Charlie Green, co-founder of The Office Group, says of the Black & White Building in an interview with Financial Times. The British capital’s tallest commercial address made from engineered timber, it has 37% less embodied carbon than it would, had denser materials, more commonly used in UK construction, been used.

Savings come from several aspects specific to structural wood. Timber is less energy-intensive to produce than concrete, and as lumber is far lighter it means shorter build times – on average 25% faster than heavier structures. As such, there are fewer journeys needed to transport the workforce and materials, less days when direct on-site emissions are produced, while particulate matter falls because there is no concrete being cut.

‘I was at a conference last week on constructing excellence in London, and completely unsolicited one of the speakers said to me: ‘the bottom line is we’ve got to use less concrete, less steel, and more timber’. That would have been my message, but for an independent procurement expert to talk like that, I think the penny has dropped in terms of benefits from timber construction,’

says Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the UK Structural Timber Association. A man who clearly wants to see more wood in UK building stock, support from outside has rarely been higher.

In December, the UK Government published its Timber in construction roadmap, which aims to level up huge regional differences in the prevalence of timber buildings. In England, just 9% of new build homes have a wooden frame, go to Scotland and it’s 92%. The new plan will also help deliver on a legally binding target of 16.8% forest cover in England by 2050, helping support habitat recovery and reverse the country’s shocking biodiversity crisis.

Several steps are critical to meeting the objectives. These include improving data on timber and whole life carbon to ascertain more details on true benefits, promoting and improving access to sustainable and safe products, including ‘free from’ timbers which overcome indoor air pollution issues linked to certain glues and solvents, facilitating closer collaboration between stakeholders, and innovating new high performance construction systems.

‘After COP26 in Glasgow, the UK Government, headed by DEFRA, set up a working group to increase the amount of timber in construction because they recognise that if the UK is to meet its net zero target, construction materials must be a priority,’ explains Carpenter, who is now secretariat to the roadmap process, representing the timber industry. ‘Now there is a clear route, and we’re only a month or two in but the commitment Government is showing is first class.

‘I’ve put together the planned process to manage implementation and they seem to be behind that, so it’s early doors but the signs are good,’ he continues. ‘Other sectors [outside housebuilding] are also looking at timber. So, there is desire from the Department of Education to use timber in its school-building programme. The health sector is looking at timber for hospitals, we’re really beginning to see a lot of areas start to consider this frame as an option.’

Other parts of the economy – such as hotels and student accommodation providers – have longer histories with timber, although it’s only relatively recently the material fell out of favour with English developers, and buyers. A 2018 report in UK Construction Online suggests the market was growing pre-pandemic, but still hadn’t recovered from a huge crash in the 1980s driven by negative reports about quality and safety. The timber construction sector plummeted from 40% of new build market share to less than 10% in a single year, only reaching 28% again in the last decade or so. Faith is gradually being restored through hard evidence.

‘The first question that is often asked of us is around fire safety,’ Carpenter replies when we quiz him on concerns people might have with using structural timber. ‘We have significant results, for both timber frame and more recently CLT [cross-laminated timber], which show if a building is designed properly and built properly, in accordance with best practice, there’s no reason there should be any more fire risk than with other materials.

‘Cost is probably the second objection. But an independent test carried out by a quantity surveyor, RLB, looking at social housing developments, found timber frames were actually 1% cheaper than alternatives, and 19% faster to finish. Similar research has found it to be 2% cheaper, but the reality is on price materials are almost like-for-like,’ he continues, before revealing this data is now being expanded.  ‘As part of the new roadmap the Government has asked us to do a more comprehensive cost comparison, broadening the scope beyond social housing alone, so that should be interesting to see the results.’

In a world without silver bullets, Carpenter is clear that timber alone will not solve the quandary of how to continue making new buildings while protecting the planet and our atmosphere. So while ‘an ideal world’ for him might involve completely substituting concrete and steel, he says this is unlikely to prove practical. Instead, it’s as much about bringing more wood into the mix as it is pushing a ‘timber first policy’. Simply put, ‘you must choose materials appropriate for the given solution’.

‘We know there are going to be several barriers along the way, challenges that will need to be overcome. We’ve broken this down into seven working groups dealing with supply, demand, carbon, building safety, insurance, skills, and innovation. For the last two years we’ve had working groups looking at each of these, and that fed directly into the roadmap,’ Carpenter continues. ‘We’ve had industry experts involved every step of the way; you know?

‘From RIBA to the HSE, Home Builders Federation, the timber sector, wider industry, and so on. Nothing has been done in isolation. It’s been done with government departments, trade, but also the wider sectors,’ he adds. ‘So, I don’t think we’ve missed anything. The important thing now is we have a number of recommendations, some for government, some for industry, some for both. For me, it’s a question of ticking them off one by one and agreeing a plan for each to implement their steps.’

Of course, the outcome of the roadmap will only become apparent over the course of several years, but Downing Street clearly needs this program to deliver for many reasons. Not least tackling the 25% of total national greenhouse gas emissions that come from Britain’s built environment, bolstering efforts to increase tree cover in a country that’s among the world’s most biodiversity-depleted, and increasing the supply of new housing stock to help mitigate what now feels like a crisis in perpetuity.

It all seems like a win-win, but to be truly effective implementation must be focused on long term outcomes. Like growing a sustainable domestic industry, taking full advantage of the predicted rise in demand driven by this new Government initiative. And investing in improving and expanding the available workforce, with staff shortages currently the biggest non-climate challenge facing construction as a whole.

Perhaps most importantly, though, this roadmap must be met by a willingness to stay committed on all sides of the political sphere, or we risk taking two steps forward, and one step back, repeating the vicious cycle of false starts and abandoned ideas which has plagued environmental policy in the UK and globally. The outcome of which has been precious time wasted, squandered opportunities, and financial black holes. Patterns we can ill-afford to repeat.

Source: Environment Journal

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