PEXHURST SIGNS SPONSORSHIP DEAL

Hertfordshire-based fit out and refurbishment contractor, Pexhurst is delighted to announce that it is the official club sponsor of Welwyn Garden City Football Club (WGC FC) for the upcoming season.

Pexhurst is a long-time supporter of grassroots football and is pleased to be entering this partnership with Welwyn Garden City Football Club, known by fans as ‘The Citizens’. WGC FC currently plays in the Southern League Division One Central and is looking forward to the upcoming season where it will be sponsored by Pexhurst. The local business is sponsoring all teams across the football club, from the young U13s to the First Team.

Pexhurst’s sponsorship supports the team in planning for the future and investing in its players. The contractor is passionate about both construction and football and is excited to support football at a grassroots level and promote the construction industry among the local community and youth. Under the sponsorship deal, Pexhurst will have naming rights of the stadium, as well as kit branding, club programme branding and signage.

Nick Tagliarini, Director at Pexhurst, commented, “We hope to establish a long-term partnership together, with the immediate goal of seeing Welwyn Garden City FC promoted to Step 3 football, which is three leagues away from league football.”

David Coates, Vice Chairman of Welwyn Garden City Football said “Sponsorship is essential to a club of our size to maintain a competitive squad for the season ahead. It is fantastic to have a local business on board to help us do just that. Pexhurst are a highly successful business, and we are delighted to have them on board, not only with the first team but also with the academy sides.”

 

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Unblocking the Planning System to Build More Homes

The government will meet its manifesto commitment to build 1 million homes over this Parliament, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has announced today.

Reaching this target would represent another important milestone in the government’s already successful housebuilding strategy. Since 2010, over 2.2 million new homes have been delivered and millions of people have moved into home ownership.

The pledge comes ahead of a major speech by the Housing and Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, today [Monday 24 July] in which he will set out new measures to unblock the planning system and build more homes in the right places where there is local consent.

Rather than concreting over the countryside, the government will focus on prioritising building in inner-city areas where demand is highest and growth is being constrained. This includes a new urban quarter in Cambridge which will unlock the city’s full potential as a source of innovation and talent. Working with local leaders and communities in Cambridge, a new quarter will create new beautiful homes, supported by state of the art facilities with cutting-edge laboratories and green spaces.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Today I can confirm that we will meet our manifesto commitment to build 1 million homes over this Parliament. That’s a beautiful new home for a million individual families in every corner of our country.

We need to keep going because we want more people to realise the dream of owning their own home.

We won’t do that by concreting over the countryside – our plan is to build the right homes where there is the most need and where there is local support, in the heart of Britain’s great cities.

Our reforms today will help make that a reality, by regenerating disused brownfield land, streamlining planning process and helping homeowners to renovate and extend their houses outwards and upwards.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove said:

Most people agree that we need to build more homes – the question is how we go about it.

Rather than concreting over the countryside, we have set out a plan today to build the right homes in the right places where there is community support – and we’re putting the resources behind it to help make this vision a reality.

At the heart of this is making sure that we build beautiful and empower communities to have a say in the development in their area.

The Government will also take steps to unblock the bottlenecks in the planning system that are choking and slowing down development, and stopping growth and investment by:

  • Immediately launching a £24 million Planning Skills Delivery Fund to clear backlogs and get the right skills in place.
  • Setting up a new “super-squad” team of leading planners and other experts charged with working across the planning system to unblock major housing developments. The team will first be deployed in Cambridge to turbocharge our plans in the city.

Developers will also be asked to contribute more through fees, to help support a higher quality more efficient planning service.

New flexibilities to convert shops, takeaways and betting shops into homes will help to rejuvenate the high street. Meanwhile, red tape will be cut to enable barn conversions and the repurposing agricultural buildings and disused warehouses.

New freedoms to extend homes, convert lofts and renovate new buildings will help to convert existing properties into new accommodation. A review into the extension of permitted development rights will make it easier for homeowners to build upwards and outwards – with new extensions and loft conversions – whilst ensuring neighbours’ interests are protected.

Community support is vital in making these plans a success and the Housing Secretary has been clear any developments must be beautiful, come with the right infrastructure and designed with locals in mind. That is why the Housing Secretary is also today announcing:

  • Office for Place – a new body will be launched today to lead a design revolution and ensure local people have a say in how housing is designed.
  • A consultation on reforming local plans, to make them simpler, shorter and more visual, showing clearly what is planned in local areas so communities can engage.

Verity Davidge, Director of Policy, Make UK Modular said:

 “Today’s announcement to manage the housing planning backlog through a planning skills delivery fund is a step in the right direction. Part of the fund should be dedicated towards ensuring planners have the knowledge and expertise of modular housebuilding too, which can help tackle the housing crisis we face in the UK.

 “That said, these policies only begin to scratch the surface and we need to see more ambitious reforms to housing. Lowering stamp duty for EPC A rated homes and allocating a higher proportion of the affordable housing programme to modular housing would unleash the potential of a dynamic and innovative sector able to provide homes greener, faster and better.”

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Tata Plans Huge Car Battery Plant

Tata Group is expected to announce plans to build a huge car battery plant in Somerset.

The news has come after weeks of speculation about the scheme which is expected to create thousands of jobs.

The new manufacturing plant will be built on a business park close to Bridgwater.

The owner of carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is building the car battery factory with the backing of £500m worth of government funding.

The Tata Group, which owns Jaguar Land Rover, has been in negotiations with the government for several months over the terms of the support package.

The batteries at the factory will be used for the new generation of JLR cars.

Tata had also considered locating the factory site in Spain but has opted for the the UK as a result of the government funding.

The Tata subsidy deal is expected to include grants to support to help pay for the construction of the huge factory along with investment in local infrastructure including the road network.

Car industry experts have described the news as the most important investment in UK automotive since Nissan arrived in Britain in the four decades ago.

Jonathan Reynolds, Labour’s shadow business secretary, welcomed the deal, saying it “shows the strength of the UK automotive industry”,

South West MP Darren Jones is the chair of parliament’s business and trade committee.

He said its MPs would examine the subsidies on offer to Tata.

He added: “We will want to reflect, however, on the subsidy package that was required to secure this decision and if this approach is scalable to meet the need for further battery manufacturing sites for other car companies across the UK.”

Quentin Willson, the founder of FairCharge, said:

“While this is a very significant development for UK battery manufacturing, I truly hope that other companies in the battery, critical minerals, charging and EV supply chains won’t be neglected.

“The Government should see this subsidy as the beginning of building a battery ecosystem in this country. There is a genuine fear in the industry that it could sweep up all available government support, which would be hugely detrimental to the future health of UK plc in the race to zero carbon.

“We have some world class battery and EV talent and we must support them as much as we can to prevent this valuable resource of innovators moving to other more receptive markets.”

Dr Andy Palmer, founder and chief executive of Palmer Automotive, added:

“As a long-time advocate for government support of the nascent UK battery industry, I, like any sensible onlooker, welcome the news.

“However, I also air caution and so should the industry. If UK dishes out the bulk of its battery-related support to one brand, then we still face likely car industry Armageddon. Support must come in all shapes and sizes for businesses of all shapes and sizes. One gigafactory doesn’t equal success, it equals part of the puzzle.

“We need a harmonious, collaborative, strategic industrial strategy that lifts all boats. Or the tide will sweep the UK automotive sector into the deep abyss.”

 

Source: The Business Desk

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ECA warns Gov’t against ‘missing the boat’ following Net Zero report

Leading electrotechnical and engineering services body ECA has responded to the Committee for Climate Change’s (CCC) latest report, which say the current UK planning system does not live up to its potential to drive climate action.

ECA has long campaigned for more joined-up policy and a top-down approach from central government which would enable local councils to properly plan, fund, implement and maintain crucial low-carbon infrastructure, such as public EV charge points and power network upgrades.

Published on Wednesday 19th July, the Spatial Planning for Climate Resilience and Net Zero report was commissioned by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) and produced by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA).

ECA agrees with the report’s conclusions that local council planning tools are not being used to facilitate low-carbon development evenly across the UK. The report argues that by placing climate change and emissions goals at the core of the planning system, the government could accelerate the roll out of low-carbon infrastructure.

ECA’s Energy & Emerging Technologies Solutions Advisor Luke Osborne said:

“Achieving Net Zero Carbon requires a massive, concerted effort from all corners of government, at both the national and local levels.

“This latest report from the CCC has shed light on a chronic lack of resources and an institutional culture that can act as a barrier to low-carbon development. If this is not rectified through joined-up policy from the top, we risk missing the boat on new technologies and infrastructure that could allow Britons to charge their cars, insulate their homes, and use renewable electricity easily and safely.

“The UK has a legally binding target to make a 78% reduction in emissions by 2035 and become a net zero emitter by 2050. To decarbonise the grid, we need long-term strategic incentives and consumer education about the benefits of low-carbon alternatives. Without a strategic plan which considers grid capacity and carbon use, our progress towards these targets will be impeded.”

ECA is calling on the government to:

– Adopt the CLC’s national retrofit strategy,

– Establish an effective home insulation scheme,

– Promote air-to-air heat pumps as suitable for retrofit in older buildings,

– Expand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to cover the installation of low carbon heating devices,

As well as other policy recommendations. Learn more about these, and ECA’s work, here.

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HMRC: R&D Tax fraud and errors

A new report from HMRC has revealed £110m of fraud and error in R&D tax relief claimed by SMEs in the construction sector in 2020-21.

 

The new figures have been released ahead of the introduction of tighter rules which come into force from August this year.

According to the report, there were 7,600 claims for R&D tax relief by small and medium-sized construction firms in 2020-21, with a total value of £260m.

HMRC’s revised estimates of error and fraud by sector show that 62% of R&D claims by construction SMEs were judged as either wholly or partially non-compliant, with just 38% judged to be compliant.

The overall level of error and fraud for both R&D tax relief schemes (SME and RDEC) across all sectors of the economy was estimated to be £1.13bn for 2020-21, equivalent to 16.7% of claims, significantly higher than HMRC’s previously published estimate of 3.6%.

The tax authority will introduce a range of new checks on claims from 1 August 2023 onwards. Claimants or their R&D advisers will have to fill in an Additional Information Form which is designed to allow HMRC to quickly assess the validity of any claim and the level of expertise of any R&D agent used to prepare the claim.

HMRC has also risk-profiled claims across the different business sectors and by size of claim.

Steven Levine, a tax partner at BDO said:

“Given that the estimated level of compliance among construction businesses is relatively low when compared to businesses in other sectors, it’s likely that claims for R&D tax relief from construction companies will continue to be under close scrutiny by HMRC.

“While there will undoubtedly be more red tape for companies claiming R&D relief in the future, HMRC’s own figures suggest that this will continue to be a generous relief worth some £9.5bn in 2027-28. However, in many instances, companies will need to plan more carefully for their R&D tax claims and put in place new processes to collect the right information, first time, to support their R&D claims.

“Those businesses facing an enquiry into their R&D claims are also advised to take expert advice from specialists in dealing with R&D investigations.”

 

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Labour costs may overtake materials

Labour costs are set to overtake the cost of materials as the biggest challenge facing the construction industry during the year ahead, according to new analysis from the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS).

As part of its quarterly data briefing on construction inflation, BCIS is forecasting a 10 per cent uptick in labour costs over the next year, as high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis put pressure on wages.

The impact of inflation is compounded by ongoing labour shortages across the industry, with 69 per cent of British civil engineering firms reporting difficulties finding skilled operatives for infrastructure projects that include HS2.

Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, reported that annual growth in the BCIS labour cost index is predicted to increase to five per cent in the third quarter of this year, rising to 8.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2024.

He said: “While the cost of materials is now stabilising, labour is set to become the next biggest cost driver for construction going forward.

“Labour site rates continue to rise faster than wage awards. We’re expecting a period of catch-up, with people demanding wage increases that go towards offsetting some of the price rises we’ve seen across the rest of the economy.

“It’s also important to remember that while material cost increases are slowing, levels are still significantly higher than they were three or four years ago.“

According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysed by BCIS, there has been a declining trend in total employment in construction since the pandemic, mostly driven by a fall in self-employed workers.

Although the number of insolvencies is high – with more than 1,000 construction firms going bust in the last quarter – the total number of construction businesses operating has grown exponentially, from just under 200,000 in 2014 to approximately 375,000 in 2022, despite recent crises.

Dr Crosthwaite added: “Since 2019, the overall construction workforce has shrunk by 181,000 people – 98 per cent of whom were self-employed. The number of those employed has also fallen, but by a smaller proportion.

“The volume of this decline is significant. What’s interesting is that despite the number of insolvencies having risen and the number of workers falling, the number of firms and labour productivity both appear to be increasing, suggesting that the industry is becoming more efficient.“

BCIS forecasting data and figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show total construction work output is now above pre-pandemic levels, at £46,409m for Q1 2023, driven by growth in the repair and maintenance industry. However new work output has declined in the last quarter and remains below levels recorded in 2017, at £27,822m for Q1 2023.

For more information about BCIS, visit the website at www.bcis.co.uk

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EU project for digital building management

Rümlang, 18 July 2023 – dormakaba is the only practice partner participating in the openDBL (Digital Building Logbook) research project funded by the European Union (EU). A total of 13 partners from eight European countries are involved. The project, which has a budget of €4.5 million, aims to transform the way building data is managed and accessed by developing a new type of “digital logbook.” This groundbreaking initiative will streamline building maintenance, improve data accessibility and promote sustainable practices. The second working meeting of project participants will take place July 18-19, 2023, at dormakaba’s corporate headquarters in Rümlang.

“We are delighted to be involved in the EU-funded openDBL project as an exclusive practice partner and to be able to hold the second working meeting at our company headquarters at the beginning of the project. Our expertise and innovative solutions will help pave the way for standardized approaches and the revolutionization of building operations,” says dormakaba project coordinator Kai Oberste-Ufer, Head of Architecture, Engineering & Construction Planning Tools & Configurators.

An open digital logbook for buildings
openDBL is a pioneering project to create a comprehensive digital logbook for buildings. This digital logbook will serve as a central platform to store and manage different types of information, including construction details, maintenance records, and operational data, such as air quality. The logbook will have open interfaces with various data sources, allowing remote access and real-time updates. By digitizing building data, openDBL aims to simplify supply chain workflows for architecture, engineering, construction, and operations and improve building management sustainably.

Expertise and solutions from practice
The dormakaba Group’s German subsidiary contributes practical experience and innovative solutions for digitalization in building management as a project partner. This includes using the EntriWorX EcoSystem in planned pilot tests, with which access solutions can be digitally planned, easily installed, and operated. The EntriWorX EcoSystem combines smart sensor technology with comprehensive data analysis for user-friendly handling of door systems.

Europe-wide pilot tests
The openDBL project, with its consortium of 13 partners from Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Spain, is coordinated by the research and technology organization CETMA (www.cetma.it). The partners are research institutes, local governments, and IT companies. Pilot trials are being conducted in Ruvo di Puglia (Italy), Kifissia (Greece), and Mislata (Spain). These trials pave the way for standardized approaches and demonstrate the potential of openDBL in revolutionizing building management across Europe.

For more information about the openDBL project please visit www.opendbl.eu.

 

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SPECULATIVE BUILD STARTS ON SITE FOR 33,000 SQ FT INDUSTRIAL UNIT

Gregory Properties has commenced speculative construction to deliver a state of the art, 33,000 sq ft industrial unit at Sheffield Business Park.  The unit is to comprise 30,000 sq ft of industrial/warehouse space with a 3,000 sq ft M&E fitted office mezzanine.

Sheffield based BDB Design Build is the principal contractor appointed to work alongside The Harris Partnership, Eastwood & Partners and RPP Group, to deliver the significant scheme.

Gregory Properties acquired the 2-acre vacant site on Europa Link, the main road running through the popular estate, from Sheffield Business Park Ltd in May 2022 and secured planning consent to deliver the unit in November.  It anticipates completion for occupation by January 2024.

Sheffield Business Park is an already well established 200-acre development located off Junctions 33 and 34 of the M1 and to the North of Sheffield City Centre. Current occupiers include SIG Group, South Yorkshire Police, Gleesons, TNS, Primetals and Hart Shaw.

The Park is situated within the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing & Innovation District (AMID) that has seen substantial investment from occupiers including Boeing, Rolls-Royce and McLaren.

Nick Gillott, Development Director at Gregory Properties, said,

“We are delighted to be able to start construction on site to deliver a state-of-the-art building that responds to critical demand for market ready premises in South Yorkshire.  Sheffield Business Park is a prime strategic site that is already recognised as a hotbed of cutting-edge industry and is well placed for last mile logistics operators serving the Sheffield City Region.”

The steel portal frame unit will offer 9m to eaves with three ground level access doors, Rooftop Solar PV, enhanced landscaping and carparking for 34 vehicles, EV charging points, secure covered cycle shelter, gated service yard with security lighting.

The Sheffield office of Knight Frank is appointed to market the property.

Harry Orwin – Allen, Senior Surveyor at Knight Frank, said,

“The industrial and distribution sector across Yorkshire continues to be buoyant, with demand from a range of sectors.  The development of Unit T1 Sheffield Business Park offers opportunity for an occupier acquire a brand new, high specification detached unit with good yard provision and strong environmental credentials by way of sale or letting. Located at the established Sheffield Business Park, the property is in a highly desirable industrial, logistics and distribution location, a stone’s throw from the Sheffield Parkway and therefore having fantastic links to Junction 33 of the M1 motorway and Sheffield City Centre. We are excited to bring this opportunity forward and look forward to seeing construction progress.”

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Target Impossible – 300,000 New Homes

A cross-party parliamentary report has criticised Government housing policy, saying it has caused “uncertainty” for local authorities.

The report, published pm Friday by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee says it will be difficult to achieve the Government’s target of building 300,000 new homes a year in England by the mid-2020s if mandatory local housing targets are dropped.

In December 2022 the Government announced plans to make changes to its National Planning Policy Framework. This announcement, along with the prolonged three-month consultation period, meant that 58 local authorities delayed progress on home-building projects according to the new report.

LUHC’s report into the policy review also criticises the Government for not providing “sufficient evidence to demonstrate how its proposed reforms will increase housebuilding to meet the national housing target by the mid-2020s.”

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts, who is chair of the committee, said:

“We have a national shortage of housing in England and there’s evidence the Government’s latest shake-up of planning rules is already having a damaging impact on efforts to increase the building of new homes.”

The Government’s proposals for reform to their policy include making local housing targets advisory rather than mandatory, and to remove the requirement for councils in England to maintain a rolling 5-year housing supply of land for housing. The committee’s report mentions that numerous stakeholders provided them with evidence that suggests these measures would make the national housing target “impossible to achieve.”

Successive governments are also blamed in the report for failing to build enough housing – something it says is “an underlying cause of the current affordability crisis.”

“People are facing rising housing costs,” said Mr Betts. “Housing affordability is a major issue. For our economy and for communities across the country, it’s crucial the Government takes urgent action to encourage the building of more homes.

“Without urgent action, the Government will fail to achieve its national housing target of building 300,000 net new homes per year by the mid-2020s.”

As a result of the Government’s proposals, only half of the housing stock that’s needed would be built, according to Mr Betts.

“Planning consultants say annual house building will go down to around 150,000 a year under the Government’s proposed policy reforms. The prospect of a major hit to the building of new homes resulting from the Government’s planning rule changes is deeply concerning, especially for people wanting to get on the housing ladder, families eager to move home, and communities crying out for affordable places to live.”

While the Government is committed to a net 300,000 new homes each year, there is no commitment or guidance on how that figure should be made up. The report calls for the Government to give greater priority to social housing, by including 90,000 homes for Social Rent in the 300,000 figure.

It also highlights the resource challenges faced by local councils and their planning departments, and criticises the Government for failing to deliver a comprehensive resources and skills strategy for the planning sector.

Source: Yorkshire Post

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CPD: SUSTAINABLE PVC-U CABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

MARSHALL-TUFFLEX LAUNCHES FIRST CPD: SUSTAINABLE PVC-U CABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

 

Marshall-Tufflex has launched a new CPD course accredited by the CPD Certification Service that details the recycling and sustainability properties of PVC-U cable management systems. Aimed at contractors, specifiers, and consultants, the one-hour seminar will explain how these systems can benefit projects and best practices for specification.

With over 80 years’ experience in manufacturing PVC-U, Marshall-Tufflex is the UK’s most trusted authority on cable management solutions. The launch of its first CPD, which will ultimately form part of a series, highlights the company’s commitment to supporting continued professional development at specifier- and industry-level.

The new CPD also forms part of the Hastings-based manufacturer’s campaign to emphasise the need to reduce the estimated 120 million tonnes of waste produced by the construction industry each year, and instead, re-use PVC-U material for manufacturing rather than going to landfill.

Delivered in person at a preferred site or customer premises, Marshall-Tufflex’s one-hour Sustainable PVC-U Cable Management Systems CPD provides an overview of how recycled material is used within PVC-U cable management systems and how its use can aid sustainability and the circular economy.

Martin Russell, Group Product Manager at Marshall-Tufflex, commented:

“We are actively engaged in developing new and innovative cable management solutions that use recycled materials. We are delighted to launch our first CPD with the aim of increasing awareness about sustainability and the circular economy and making those solutions more accessible.

“After completing the CPD seminar, delegates will understand more about the different types of PVC-U, as well as their properties, and how they can be recycled and used to manufacture new products. The course will also provide guidance on the best practices for specifying PVC-U cable management systems, increasing their understanding and confidence for future projects.”

CLICK HERE To find out more

 

Or CLICK HERE to contact your local Marshall-Tufflex sales manager

 

  Or CLICK HERE to register your interest at the CPD Certification Service website

 

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