Housing affordability to worsen with 7 per cent rise in population

 

More young people look set to live with their parents as buying a home becomes increasingly expensive, the government’s housing accelerator Homes England has warned.

Office of National Statistics has revealed the cost of a home is rising quicker than earnings with affordability ratios increasing from 4.92 in 2002 to 8.28 in 2022.

“Many young people cannot afford to buy homes in their local communities where they have grown-up, due to worsening affordability,” Homes England said in its latest factsheet The Need for Homes.

Alongside this Homes England has quoted Census statistics which forecast the UK population soaring to more than 60m by 2045.

Home Builders Federation, HBF, executive director Steve Turner said:

“Amidst an already acute housing shortage in this country house building is falling sharply. Whilst the government may say it wants to be building 300k homes a year, the policy environment is resulting in us getting further away from that target.”

The National House Building Council’s latest quarterly statistics published last November showed a year-on-year drop of 53 per cent in new registrations with completions down by 15 per cent.

Last financial year just 234,000 new homes were built, down by six per cent on figures for 2019-20 and below the government’s 300,000 new homes a year target.

More infrastructure help and better-resourced planning authorities needed

The housebuilding industry has criticised the government over an anti-development planning system, lack of support for house buyers and under-resourced council planning departments.

“The social and economic implications are stark, and unless the constraints are addressed urgently decent housing will become even more inaccessible, and thousands of jobs will be lost,” said Mr Turner.

The National Federation of Builders, NFB, head of policy and market insight Rico Wojtulewicz said:

“Planning for housing is just one part of the puzzle because we also need the infrastructure to support good placemaking, and this means greater land use. Unfortunately, the government has played planning politics for far too long and this has cost the British public affordable and enough housing, better jobs, regional connectivity and levelled up places.”

Homes England has quoted Office of National Statistics data revealing the cost of a home is increasingly more quickly than earnings. In 2002 the average house price in England was £102,000 and the average salary was £20,739. However, in 2022 this climbed to £275,000 with the average salary rising to £33,208. London was the least affordable place to live with the average house price more than trebling to £525,000 in 2022 compared with an average house price of £174,000 back in 2002.

Conveyancing solicitors Bird & Co said the number of enquiries it received from first-time buyers had slumped from 68 per cent in 2023 compared with 72 per cent in 2020.

Partner Daniel Chard said:

“Constructing new homes loses its purpose if they remain unaffordable, particularly for aspiring first-time buyers striving to step onto the property ladder.”

 Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said development finance lenders were worried that the current tough sales environment might dissuade housebuilders from developing sites.

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London under-prepared for flooding and extreme heat

Photo Credit: Josh Caius/Ashden

 

London under-prepared for flooding and extreme heat, new report warns – climate charity Ashden highlights inclusive solutions

 

The interim report of the London Climate Resilience Review should prompt decision-makers to bring proven solutions from around the UK to the capital, says climate charity Ashden.

London boroughs, the Greater London Authority and national government must act now to protect the capital’s people, businesses and nature. The report, which Ashden submitted evidence to and was published today, declares that London and the rest of the UK is ‘under-prepared for climate change impacts like flooding and extreme heat’. The final review is expected later this year.

Ashden says decision-makers should replicate successful initiatives from around the UK, to help London’s communities become more resilient to climate change.

The charity has also made ten recommendations for national government. These include more support for risk mapping, natural flood defences, and new homes designed to minimise the impact of extreme heat.

The report points to key strategic opportunities ahead, as well as gaps in the capital’s preparations for more severe flooding, storms, extreme heat, drought and other risks. It recommends ‘a step change’ in adaptation planning and investment.

“We’re delighted to see this London Climate Resilience Review interim report telling it like it is,” says Dr Ashok Sinha, CEO of Ashden. “Londoners, especially the most disadvantaged, are in a very precarious position because of the threat of flooding and killer heatwaves.

“What we need now is action across London to scale up solutions that are proven – these include planting trees that cool public areas and constructing protective wetlands to prevent flooding. Or setting high standards for home building and ramping up retrofitting for warmth and energy efficiency. It’s also essential that national government devolves the powers and funding to enable community-led solutions.”

 

What can London learn from climate future proofing already happening?

 

Ashden delivers annual awards for climate innovation, as well as ongoing support for councils, schools and others tackling the climate emergency. Their work reveals pioneering initiatives that could protect and empower communities in the capital.

Initiatives from Hampshire to Dundee show the power of nature-based solutions, energy efficiency, and low carbon energy innovation. These interventions will help communities stay safe, warm and cool, adapt to extreme weather, and also create stronger economies and greater wellbeing. These wider benefits are crucial to winning public support for climate action.

The London Boroughs of Enfield and Hackney, along with Liverpool and Hull City Councils, have effectively implemented new wetlands, flood defences, and green spaces. Nature based solutions provide natural cooling, water capture and flood protection – as well as mental and physical health benefits.

 

Reducing household energy consumption is one of the most urgent priorities for cutting the UK’s carbon emissions and mitigating climate change, particularly in anticipation of a significant rise in air conditioning use and with 4.6 million English homes currently experiencing summertime overheating.

Organisations are already working around the UK on improving existing building structures to regulate temperatures and provide low-cost, low-carbon energy sources, as well as rethinking how we design new build homes that are fit for the future.

 

Funding to protect the future

 

Making changes to protect communities is undoubtedly an investment in the future. Funding our own climate ‘insurance’ by setting up protective initiatives is crucial to building our resilience to the changing circumstances and increasing energy costs we will all face, says Dr Sinha.

“What is clear is that we have the solutions, but government must get behind them with funding and policy immediately, so that communities and environments are protected.”

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New law promises reform but will planners deliver on it?

By David Norman of Davon

For smaller and medium-sized developers, 2023 was the year that everything took longer. It took longer to find and acquire land, longer to obtain bank funding and longer to get materials delivered but most of all, it took longer to get planning permission.

There was barely a day all year when I didn’t have a discussion with a client involving planning. The industry’s frustration with the ponderous UK system is palpable.

It’s particularly galling for the SME residential developers who are typically our clients because they have fewer resources to deal with the bureaucracy and face more intense financial pressures than the big hitters, notably on cashflow. When you are stretched on a project having shelled out for a parcel of land, planning delays pile up your bank interest. Time is money.

And it is not just delays that eat cash. Even a small development of, say, two houses can incur upfront costs of £30-50,000 in planning and professional fees. For more complex projects, that number can easily top £100,000 when you factor in consultancy fees for a broader raft of planning hurdles such as right to light and environmental studies. Another big-ticket pre-planning bill can be option fees for the landowner.

Unfortunately for developers, banks dislike lending against developments pending planning applications as there are no assets in the project, which means the developer must find the cash.

These pressures have had a cataclysmic effect on smaller to medium residential developers.

According to the Federation of Master Builders, 40 years ago SME house builders delivered 40% of our homes. Today, this figure is just 12%.

Planning is not the only culprit. The FMB says the sector has been hit hard by successive recessions. They report that SME and custom builders say they struggle to access finance and land, but right up there on their list of complaints is the difficulty of navigating Britain’s complex planning system.

Our experience at Davon talking to SME residential developers throughout last year bore that out, so we were pleased to give our support to the FMB’s campaign for:

  • A simplified planning system
  • Making more small sites available for SME developers
  • Investing in local authority planning departments to speed up the planning process

For years, successive governments have promised action to tackle the housing shortage and streamline the planning system. Yet the industry sees little or no progress and has become at least sceptical if not cynical.

The latest government initiative is the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act which became law in October 2023. It is supposed to speed up the planning system, hold developers to account, cut bureaucracy, and encourage more councils to put in place plans to enable the building of new homes.

The Act promises that new developments will be more attractive with better infrastructure such as GP surgeries, schools and transport links. Development will be shaped by local people’s democratic wishes, enhance the environment and create neighbourhoods where people want to live and work.

That all sounds great, but will it happen?

One feature of the Act that caught my eye is to give councils the power to work directly with landlords to bring empty buildings back into use by local businesses and community groups, “breathing life back into empty high streets”.

Many people in the property and construction world will tell you that converting offices and retail premises into residential is fraught with difficulty, but it can be done successfully.

Take our client, Barker Homes for example. We have provided mezzanine finance for a series of their conversion projects, the latest being a £10.5 million redevelopment to transform a town centre commercial building in Hemel Hempstead into 40 luxury apartments.

If planning policy changes can smooth the path for more of these and other kinds of conversion of redundant buildings, that would be welcome.

It will be necessary if the Act is to deliver on its objectives, which include directing growth to support the regeneration of brownfield sites and renewing and levelling up towns and cities with more homes in Britain’s largest urban centres including in the North and Midlands.

The government says that this will not only make the most of brownfield land but also maximise the use of existing infrastructure, taking advantage of structural change in urban land use and reducing the need for unnecessary travel.

One criticism we often hear is that national and local planning is not joined up. To some extent this is addressed in the Act with new joint spatial development strategies to bring together planning authorities across boundaries where there are strategic reasons to do so.

But at the local level where our clients operate, it is the promise of a speeded up, streamlined planning service that is most appealing.

Previously mooted planning overhauls have met with reticence from the planners themselves but this time, at least publicly, they are being supportive.

The Act has been backed by the planners’ professional association, the Royal Town Planning Institute, although its chief executive, Victoria Hills, said if it is to be successful, the government must engage frequently with planners to ensure that new regulations and policy work as intended and deliver on those promises.

To me, that is the crux of the matter. There have been too many initiatives for change in the system that have fallen by the wayside as well as promises to deliver on housing and regeneration that have been little more than re-hashed versions of existing policies.

What the industry desperately needs is action, and that means ensuring that planners are on board with the spirit of the new law.

 

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Are Welsh Safety Rules Failing Existing High Rise?

Updated building safety rules should not leave existing flats behind

The Welsh Government intends to build on changes made in 2018 when the use of some combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings was banned. The current proposals look at a range of new materials to be covered, extend the types of buildings, include buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height and include new regulations about emergency systems and procedures.

Key new measures for new buildings include:

  • Evacuation Alert Systems (EAS) in flats with a floor 18m or more above ground level
  • Secure Information Boxes in flats with a floor of 11m or more above ground level
  • Floor identification and flat wayfinding signage within flats with a floor of 11m or more above ground level

Do not put existing tenants and owners at risk

Propertymark supports many of the proposals made in the consultation, however, we urge for an even greater impact on fire safety and across existing flats. We are perplexed about the rationale behind leaving existing flats out of the latest proposals.

To protect residents in buildings that present a fire safety risk, proposals to introduce wayfinding signage, Secure Information Boxes and evacuation alert systems must be expanded to include all existing buildings that are considered ‘high-risk’.

More building types should be considered

The consultation proposes applying the existing combustible cladding ban to hotels, hostels and boarding houses. We agree with this but also encourage the Welsh Government to explore the benefits of expanding the regulations to high-use non-residential buildings such as office blocks.

While we understand that there is a reduced occupancy overnight, bringing high-use buildings up to similar standards would further protect the safety of occupants.

Exceptions to height rules needed

Propertymark believes that consideration should be given to all properties that may present an additional risk to residents, even if they are less than 11m tall.

Rather than a fixed cut-off point for the regulations, a qualified fire risk assessor should be required to assess individual properties under 11 metres in height to identify if the regulations should apply to it. We envision that this would encompass properties with restrictive planning where escape routes are not easily accessible or other similar factors that could present a significant fire safety risk.

Source: Property Mark

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‘Honeycomb’ House Given National Heritage Status

Mickling Barf was designed and built be renowned local architects Rex and Jenifer Critchlow

An unusual house built by husband-and-wife architects for themselves and their family to live in has earned “national heritage” status.

Mickling Barf, in Hatcliffe, near Barnoldby-le-Beck, was constructed in three phases between 1962 and 1983 by Rex and Jenifer Critchlow. Laid out to a cranked 30/60 geometric design, with two main wings and an adjoining annexe, the architects’ model shows how the house was planned from the outset to be extended as the family grew, according to Historic England.

“The house retains in its second bathroom a GRP [glass reinforced plastic] pod formed in two halves, designed from a patent by Rex Critchlow which was later sold to Ideal Standard,” Historic England’s description notes. “The garden and landscaping surrounding the house was also designed by the Critchlows and the plans executed over time. The house remained the family home of the Critchlows until 2022.”

Grade two-listed Mickling Barf is among a total of 227 historic buildings, including 16 quirky examples, to be added to the National Heritage List for England in 2023. It has been designated on the grounds of its architectural merit and historic interest.

Rex and Jenifer, who met while studying architecture at Sheffield University and married in 1960, built the main part of the house between 1963 and 1965, added an office and bathroom in the 1970s and an annexe space in 1982. The couple worked in London before moving to Lincolnshire to gradually take over the architectural practice of Jenifer’s father, J. Fred Pye, on his retirement.

Mickling Barf is said to show influences of Frank Lloyd Wright – who adopted a “honeycomb” geometry for his 1930s Hanna House – in its construction and has a hexagonal-shaped sunken living room. Wide use of hexagonal floor tiles throughout echoes the angles of the building.

Though built of simple materials such as timber and brick, the house’s grid design allows for “unusual and interesting spaces” and “fluidity and abundant natural light”, says Historic England. “As an example of a family home built by the architects for themselves, the joint design by husband and wife gives additional interest.”

When the Critchlows moved to Grimsby, Jenifer worked for a local authority before largely giving up architecture, once her children began to arrive, though she maintained an interest in landscaping and wrote a guide to the local church. Rex Critchlow led a Sixties project on what had originally been a small terraced hotel amid houses and shops to help create an expanded Kingsway Hotel, in Cleethorpes.

An application by the Twentieth Century Society (C20), which campaigns for outstanding buildings, led to the designation of Mickling Barf, after it was advertised for sale. C20 said the property was “a strong example of post-war domestic architecture that survives remarkably intact”.

“The house was occupied by the Critchlows until 2022, with this continuity of ownership meaning the external and internal features of the building have not seen significant alteration in 60 years,” C20 said. “The remarkably intact interior of Mickling Barf holds a range of striking original features, with what Rex Critchlow referred to as ‘honest and cheap’ materials used throughout the house.”

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said:

“A range of remarkable historic buildings and sites are added to the list each year and 2023 is no exception. We’ve examined and protected some amazing sites this year, which together give us a window into our rich and varied historic environment.”

Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

“The striking range of places listed this year are a vivid demonstration of the richness and variety of our national heritage. The great work done by Historic England will ensure that they are protected for future generations to enjoy – and to learn about the fascinating people and stories connected with them.”

 

Source: Grimsby Live

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THE LEGAL DUTY TO MANAGE ASBESTOS

Keep people safe from future dangers of asbestos, regulator warns

  • The dangerous material was banned from construction 25 years ago
  • Asbestos may still be present in buildings built before 2000
  • New HSE campaign emphasises legal duties to manage asbestos

Buildings that people use in their daily lives, such as workplaces, schools and hospitals are the focus of a new campaign to keep people safe from asbestos.

Asbestos: Your Duty launching today, Monday 15 January, aims to improve understanding of what the legal duty to manage asbestos involves.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) wants anyone with responsibilities for buildings to do everything they must do to comply with the law and prevent exposure to this dangerous substance, which was widely used in post-war construction before it was completely banned in 1999.

The legal duty to manage asbestos covers a wide range of buildings such as museums, schools, hospitals, and places of worship, as well as workplaces like offices and factories.

Businesses and organisations responsible for premises built before the turn of the century, and especially those between 1950 and 1980 when the use of asbestos in construction was at its peak, must carry out the necessary checks and understand their legal responsibilities.

People who visit or work in these buildings will not be exposed if asbestos is properly contained. But it can become dangerous when disturbed or damaged.

Updated information, new templates (including an asbestos management plan template), and explanatory videos can be found on HSE’s website to help anyone who is unsure of their legal duties – or just need to refresh themselves – on what they need to do.

HSE will check how asbestos is managed when visiting a range of buildings – like schools and hospitals – requiring those responsible for managing asbestos risks to ensure they have the right arrangements in place.

Sarah Albon, HSE’s chief executive said: “To keep people safe from the harms of asbestos, a culture of safely managing asbestos is needed in our building industry and among those responsible for buildings.

“Asbestos exposure in Great Britain is still the single greatest cause of work-related deaths due to exposures decades ago.

“Together, we must protect people in the workplace and reduce future work-related ill health.”

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Site poised to produce new fuel technology

Fylde nuclear site poised to produce new fuel technology that will help power UK

A nuclear fuel facility in Fylde could be key to powering the next generation of reactors.

The Springfields site at Salwick is one of only two in the UK with the potential to produce the special type of uranium that will be needed in the decades to come. Research into the fuel – known as “high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU)” – is already being carried out at the plant, which is operated by Westinghouse UK.

Speaking after a visit on Thursday to the National Nuclear Laboratory at Springfields, Claire Coutinho, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, said there was

“a strong possibility” that there will be “a direct benefit for Lancashire and Cheshire”from the £300m that the government has this week committed to investing in the HALEU programme. The other facility with potential production capability is at Capenhurst, near Chester.

The cash commitment will enable the UK to become the first country outside of Russia to commercially produce HALEU, which it is hoped will help drive Vladimir Putin’s Russia out of the global energy market.

Ms. Coutinho said that the technology for advanced modular reactors (AMRs) is currently being developed and it is hoped to have the first demo model by 2030.

“The advanced nuclear fuel will then be ready in time for that fleet of AMRs, when [it] starts to come online. They are researching that type of fuel at the [National Nuclear Laboratory], which has been really important in the development of the work that we’re doing and the [government’s civil nuclear] roadmap. We will then be looking in the next phase at who could commercially produce it – and that’s the…stage which we will set out this year.”

 

“This is also a really important announcement when it comes to energy security – not just at home but also of our allies abroad. It’s really important that we don’t wean ourselves off Russian oil and gas only to be dependent on them for nuclear fuel,” Ms. Coutinho added.

The £300 million investment is part of plans to help deliver up to 24GW of reliable nuclear power by 2050 – the biggest expansion in capacity in 70 years and enough to meet a quarter of the UK’s electricity needs.

That ambition includes exploring the development of a GW-scale power plant as big as those at Sizewell in Suffolk and Hinkley in Somerset, which are capable of powering six million homes each, as well as a competition to develop small modular reactor technology.

Springfields has been producing nuclear fuel since 1946 and around a third of the UK’s low-carbon electricity comes from fuel manufactured at the site, in between Kirkham and Preston.

Ms. Coutinho described HALEU as a “highly efficient” fuel and said that the ability of advanced modular reactors to generate heat as well as electricity was going to make them “really useful when it comes to powering industry”.

However, she said that the UK was going to be “technology agnostic” over its nuclear future. To that end, a further £10m will be invested to develop the skills and sites needed to produce other advanced nuclear fuels.

“We’ll see out of these different types of technologies what will be the best value for the taxpayer and [provide] the best energy security for the country – and we’ll be making the decision on that basis,” the Secretary of State explained.

Source: The Gazette

 

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Global Growth in Offsite Construction

The Global Offsite Construction Market latest research report examines the potential growth opportunities and trends in the development of the industry until 2030. Offsite Construction employing qualitative and quantitative methodologies, this report thoroughly analyzes the factors that drive and hinder market growth. It offers a detailed assessment of the market landscape, equipping companies with the essential information needed to make informed decisions about their business strategies and identify potential areas for growth.

According to the latest research, the global Offsite Construction market size was valued at USD 164903.73 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR ( compound annual growth rate) of 8.5% during the forecast period, reaching USD 269035.09 million by 2028

In this research report Offsite Construction Market detailed analysis of business is mainly cover by Application, Residential, Commercial, Industrial, by Type, Prefab Construction, Modular Construction. The report provides conclusive information about the industry, making it easily accessible to readers and users. It is a valuable resource for businesses of all sizes to establish their commercial plans. The report presents statistical information in a simplified format.

Who are the top manufacturersof Offsite Construction Market?

 

  • Red Sea Housing
  • Dvele
  • Laing O-Rourke
  • Zhongtong Steel Structure Co.,Ltd
  • ATCO
  • Kleusberg GmbH & Co. (KG)
  • Vaughan Buckley
  • Broad Group
  • Giant Containers Inc
  • Sekisui House
  • Skanska AB
  • SG Blocks Inc
  • Speed House Group of Companies
  • Honomobo Corporation
  • Anderco Pte. Ltd

The Reports Will Help with Solving the Following Inquiries:

  • What is the current status of the Offsite Construction market request in different regions?
  • How is the demand for Offsite Construction market segmented based on product types?
  • What is the projected future development of the demand?
  • How does the demand potential compare to other countries?

Offsite Construction Market Report Insights 2024-2030:

The report provides a thorough examination of the Offsite Construction market, encompassing its present and future goals, along with a competitive assessment of the industry. This evaluation is conducted considering application, type, and regional trends. Moreover, the report presents a summarized overview of the historical and current performance of prominent companies operating in the market.

Also the Offsite Construction market research study encompasses an assessment of the market’s possibilities, obstacles, risks, and factors that contribute to its growth as well as hinder it. Furthermore, the study investigates the potential for growth by examining and evaluating the challenges presented by new market entrants, competing products and services, and the overall competitive environment.

Key Points of Offsite Construction Market Report are: –

  • Market Size Estimates: Offsite Construction market size estimation in terms of value and sales volume from 2018-2028
  • Market Trends and Dynamics: Offsite Construction market drivers, opportunities, challenges, and risks
  • Macro-economy and Regional Conflict: Influence of global inflation and Russia & Ukraine War on the Offsite Construction market
  • Segment Market Analysis: Offsite Construction market value and sales volume by type and by application from 2018-2028
  • Regional Market Analysis: Offsite Construction market situations and prospects in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa
  • Country-level Studies on the Offsite Construction Market: Revenue and sales volume of major countries in each region
  • Offsite Construction Market Competitive Landscape and Major Players: Analysis of 10-15 leading market players, sales, price, revenue, gross, gross margin, product profile and application, etc.
  • Trade Flow: Import and export volume of the Offsite Construction market in major regions.
  • Offsite Construction Industry Value Chain: Offsite Construction market raw materials & suppliers, manufacturing process, distributors, downstream customers
  • Offsite Construction Industry News, Policies & Regulation

Which Region are leading edge the Offsite Construction Market?

  • North America (United States, Canada)
  • Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden)
  • Asia Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia)
  • Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina)
  • Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa)

The report covers: –

 A brief overview of the research scope, as well as the definitions of the target market and the subdivisions.

Integrates and sketches the research findings and conclusions in a clear and explicit way.

Presents the competitive landscape by displaying the sales, revenue, and market shares of the top players. It also profiles the major market participants with their business introductions, sales, price, revenue, gross, growth rates, etc.

Breaks down the market by different product types and shares data correspondingly with the aim of helping the readers know how the market is distributed by type.\

Segments the Offsite Construction Market by downstream industry, with data covers sales, revenue, and growth rate tracing back to 2018.

Analyses of the whole market industrial chain, ranging from upstream raw materials to downstream customers, with regional conflicts taken into consideration.

Elaborates on market dynamics. Factors that drive, challenge, or restrain the market are all listed, together with industry news, opportunities, impacts of COVID-19, and SWOT analysis.

Shows the breakdown data at the regional level, which enables the readers to picture the regional competitive pattern of the market and learn about the revenue, sales, and market share of all the major regions.

Focuses on each and every of the major region, specifically, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa. Sales, price, revenue, gross, gross margin, among others, will be all be presented.

Get a Sample Copy of the Offsite Construction Market Report 2024

 

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FMB says Positivity in Decline

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has expressed positivity for 2024, despite S&P Global/CIPS UK Construction PMI data indicating a decline in December 2023.

The S&P Global UK Construction PMI indicated another “solid fall” in UK construction activity,

however, according to the report, the December figures indicated the slowest decline for four months, since September, when the decline began.

 

Brian Berry, CEO at the FMB, reacted to the report:

“December’s Construction Output data once again shows a continued decline in house building rates, with commercial construction rates also down.

“There are, however, positive signs that the rate at which activity within the industry is declining is starting to slow, giving hope that 2024 may be a year when we finally start to see improvement.

“House building rates are still continuing to decline, and a comprehensive action plan is necessary if the UK is to deliver on the increased confidence of construction companies that 2024 will bring a rise in business activity.”

 

Source: Development Finance Today

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WARNING: AI Generated Learning

TICA issues warning over AI-generated online training course

 

 

Trade body the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) has issued a warning over AI-generated online training courses containing non-UK specific and outdated content.

 

Chris Ridge, TICA’s technical director, says one example offered a Level 1 certificate upon completion of the £39.99 thermal insulation course.

 

However, he found the listed contacts failed to link to social media accounts while there was no registered address or contact telephone number.

 

Mr Ridge said:

“Anyone signing up for online courses that may be generated using artificial intelligence should be aware that they may not contain the relevant information that meets UK compliance standards.

 

“I have seen examples of courses containing content that is non-UK specific and that is actually out of date.

 

“We advise anyone interested in signing up for an online course to ensure they are properly accredited by checking with their relevant trade organisation. It’s important to stress that artificial intelligence cannot deliver the quality of information required to evidence competence, but it can produce something that looks authentic to the uninitiated.

 

“It’s important for everyone in the construction industry to be mindful of such activities, because if it’s happening in the thermal insulation sector, it may be happening elsewhere.

 

“Trade associations such as TICA, work extremely hard to ensure the competence requirements laid out in the Building Safety Act are met and it is important that these standards are upheld.”

 

Source:

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