Building News is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. Here you can find all of the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.

Could achieving net-zero disrupt business as we know it?

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With government legislating for net-zero by 2050, what does this mean for UK energy markets and business models?

Getting to net-zero will require economy-wide changes that extend well beyond the energy system, leading to rapid and unprecedented change in all aspects of society.

Research published today by the UK Energy Research Centre shines a light on the level of disruption that could be required by some sectors to meet net-zero targets.

With many businesses making strong commitments to a net-zero carbon future, the report highlights the stark future facing specific sectors. Some will need to make fundamental change to their business models and operating practices, whilst others could be required to phase out core assets. Government may need to play a role in purposefully disrupting specific sectors to ensure the move away from high carbon business models, facilitating the transition a zero-carbon economy.

Sector specific impacts

The in-depth analysis presented in ‘Disrupting the UK energy systems: causes, impacts and policy implications’ focuses on four key areas of the economy, highlighting how they may need to change to remain competitive and meet future carbon targets.

Heat: All approaches for heat decarbonisation are potentially disruptive, with policymakers favouring those that are less disruptive to consumers. Since it is unlikely that rapid deployment of low carbon heating will be driven by consumers or the energy industry, significant policy and governance interventions will be needed to drive the sustainable heat transformation.

Transport: Following the ‘Road to Zero’ pathway for road transport is unlikely to be disruptive, but it is not enough to meet our climate change targets. The stricter targets for phasing out conventional vehicles that will be required will lead to some disruption. Vehicle manufacturers, the maintenance and repair sector and the Treasury may all feel the strain.

Electricity: Strategies of the Big 6 energy companies have changed considerably in recent years, with varying degrees of disruption to their traditional business model. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to continue to adapt to rapid change – or be overtaken by new entrants.

Construction: To deliver low-carbon building performance will require disruptive changes to the way the construction sector operates. With new-build accounting for less than 1% of the total stock, major reductions in energy demand will need to come through retrofit of existing buildings.

The report identifies how policy makers plan for disruptions to existing systems. With the right tools and with a flexible and adaptive approach to policy implementation, decision makers can better respond to unexpected consequences and ensure delivery of key policy objectives.

Prof Jim Watson, UKERC Director and Professor of Energy Policy, UCL said “The move to legislate for net-zero is welcome progress, but we need economy-wide action to make this a reality.
This includes policies that deliberately disrupt established markets and business models in some sectors – and address any negative impacts.”

Prof Jillian Anable, UKERC Co-Director and Professor of Transport and Energy, University of Leeds added “The UK transport sector is nearly 100% fuelled by fossil fuels, with only tiny niches of electrified and bio-fuelled vehicles.

Whilst politically challenging, the sector can only hope to reach ‘net-zero’ through whole-scale change that involves reducing hyper-mobility and fuel switching. This will lead to disruption to actors, global networks, governance and lifestyles.”

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Residents encouraged to have their say to improve building safety

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The government is inviting views on a new building safety regime, as it seeks to bring forward new legislation to keep residents safe.

The Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017 resulted in the greatest loss of life in a residential fire in a century. It shattered the lives of many people and shook the trust of countless more in a system that was intended to ensure the most basic human need of having a safe place to live.

Following research into building safety culture across the industry, it became apparent that too many in the building industry were taking short cuts that could endanger residents in the very place they were supposed to feel safest – their own home. That’s why the government commissioned Dame Judith Hackitt, an engineer and former chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive, to review the system and find out how it can be improved.

Dame Judith’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety made it clear that there needs to be a culture change in the industry, underpinned by changing how homes are designed, built, maintained and managed in the future.

Following the review, the government began analysing Dame Judith’s recommendations to understand what needed to be done to overhaul the system. To make sure residents are safe and feel safe in their homes, it became evident that the government needed to take forward all of Dame Judith’s recommendations and go further.

Having your say

In December 2018, the government published its plan to make building regulations stronger and more effective. The plan, Building a Safer Future, committed the government to ensuring that high-rise residential buildings are safe to live in.

The government intends to bring forward new laws to improve building safety. Before doing this, it has launched a consultation (see the quick read) on the details and invites your views over the next 8 weeks.

What the government is doing

The consultation proposes a stronger voice for residents of high-rise buildings to ensure their concerns are never ignored. This includes better information regarding their buildings so that they can participate in decisions about safety, as well as clear and quick routes of escalation for their concerns if things do go wrong.

Clearer accountability for building safety

Dame Judith recommended the creation of a system of ‘dutyholders’, people who will have responsibility for keeping residents of these buildings safe, and making sure building regulations are followed. Dutyholders will be responsible for keeping vital safety information about how the building was designed and built and is managed. This is known as the ‘golden thread’ of information and will be kept electronically for the entire life of a building, from its design to its place as a home for residents. The people responsible for this information will have to make sure it is up to date and that the right people can access it, including residents.

Powers and sanctions

If the people responsible for a building ignore their responsibilities, a new building safety regulator will have the authority to take enforcement action against them. This could include criminal and civil sanctions, like fines or imprisonment.

The building safety regulator will be responsible for overseeing the safety of new and existing buildings. Their strong focus will be on checking that safety is being properly considered and necessary safety measures are put in place when new high rise residential buildings are being designed and built, and that robust safety measures are in place for existing buildings.

The intention is that, as a result, the regulator and people responsible for a building’s safety will be working towards the common goal at the heart of the new regime – the safety of residents.

The government is also consulting on new ways of ensuring that construction products are safe and used properly.

Implementing clearer standards and guidance

For the building safety regulator to work effectively, clearer standards and guidance need to be produced. For construction products and systems standards, the government proposes creating a new standards committee to provide it with impartial advice on the new standards and guidance.

The government has also consulted on a full-scale technical review of the building regulations guidance on fire safety, known as Approved Document B. The intention is to improve accessibility and usability of the guidance by publishing a single, online searchable document of all the approved documents and guide to the building regulations so everyone in the industry is clear on how to use them.

Taking action

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, the government committed to reforming the building industry to make sure a tragedy like this does not happen again. The aim is for these building safety reforms to work together to improve safety by creating a culture change in the building industry.

The safety of residents is of the greatest importance and steps are already being taken to strengthen the power residents hold and ensure their views and concerns are listened to by those responsible for managing their buildings. This includes through the Social Housing Green Paper, New Homes Ombudsman and the recent call for evidence on how residents and landlords can work together to keep their building safe, and the Social Landlords Best Practice Group, capturing and sharing effective ways for residents and landlords to work together on building safety.

The government is funding the replacement of unsafe aluminium composite material cladding, like the type used on Grenfell Tower, from high-rise residential homes and has introduced a ban on combustible materials on the external walls of new high-rise buildings.

Residents, building owners, the construction industry and the fire safety sector are all encouraged to make their voices heard by participating in the consultation and helping shape the future of building and fire safety to make sure residents are safe and feel safe in their homes.

The Home Office has also launched a call for evidence on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England. The call for evidence is the first part of a process to ensure that the Fire Safety Order is fit for purpose for all buildings it regulates.

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Government must act as construction apprenticeship starts drop by 44%

The Government must review its approach to apprenticeships following new statistics published which show that construction apprenticeship starts have plummeted by almost half.

According to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), in March 2019 there were only 694 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment apprenticeship starts compared with 1,247 in March 2018.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said “Construction apprenticeship starts have suffered a serious hit and we now need decisive action from the Government in order to reverse this decline. The Government must accept the recommendation made in the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, to make provision for full funding, at all ages, for first qualifications at Level 2 and 3. The Government is uniquely placed to drive the apprenticeship agenda, and if Ministers want to achieve their target of three million apprenticeship starts by the end of next year, they must review apprenticeship policy, including the Apprenticeship Levy.”

“Of course the construction industry itself must do more to rally around a shared ambition to promote the industry and all its merits, such as innovation, design and entrepreneurship. The drop in starts by almost half should sound the alarm that we aren’t doing enough to get the message out there. If we don’t address the skills shortage by increasing training and apprenticeships, the construction industry won’t be able to expand and grow. Introducing a mandatory licensing scheme for UK construction could help create the culture change our industry needs by improving our reputation through increased quality and professionalism and thus make us more attractive to new entrants.”

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Nearly 60% of people wrongly assume millenials are hopeless around the house

Well over half of people wrongly assume that millennials are useless when it comes to carrying out practical jobs around the home, according to research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

The latest research by the FMB shows that despite well over half (57%) of Brits thinking that millennials are inept, the following shows the top ten jobs 18-34 year olds have completed:

  • 70% have defrosted a freezer
  • 66% have hung picture or photo frames on a wall
  • 63% have put together flat-pack furniture
  • 58% have painted a wall or piece of furniture
  • 57% have hung curtains
  • 49% have watched a DIY ‘how to’ video
  • 48% have sewn a button
  • 44% have bled a radiator
  • 43% have changed a fuse in a plug
  • 36% have put up a shelf

Commenting on the research, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “Society is wrong to assume that the technical know-how of your typical millennial begins and ends with their smart phone. Well over half of Brits think that those aged 18-34 fall short when it comes to carrying out hands-on tasks around the home. There’s a popular misconception that most young people rely on their parents to complete jobs around the house for them – either through a lack of interest or a lack of ability, or both. However, our research shows that millennials are handier than many give them credit for. Two thirds of young people have hung picture or photo frames on the wall and nearly as many have put together flat-pack furniture and painted something. It’s particularly impressive that half of all young people have been proactive enough to watch a DIY ‘how to’ online video rather than waiting for someone they know the show them or complete the task on their behalf.”

“Although we applaud young people for getting stuck in, it’s important that all generations know their limits when it comes to DIY and home improvements. It’s one thing bleeding a radiator and quite another attempting to knock down a wall or removing a structural beam. Our advice is to refrain from undertaking tasks that are better performed by a professional builder. If home owners are looking to hire a builder, and aren’t able to extract a reliable recommendation from a family member or friend, they should use the FMB’s ‘Find a Builder’ service. All new members of the FMB are vetted and independently inspected before joining and so consumers can rest assured that they’ll be working with a professional and quality builder.”

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Industry must respond to Brexit skills challenge

Exclusive research from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) shows that one in three firms are already feeling the impact of Brexit. This creates an urgent need for industry and government to collaborate on Brexit-related skills challenges.

CITB’s Green Paper – Migration in the UK Construction and Built Environment Sector – found that while a growing number of employers are feeling the effects of Brexit like staff shortages and fewer clients, less than a third have taken action as it approaches, or even plan on doing so.

The report found that:

  • One in three construction employers are feeling the impact of Brexit, up 9% from last year
  • Nearly half expect the recruitment of skilled workers to become more difficult over the next two years. Just 4% expect this to get easier
  • Less than a third has taken action as Brexit approaches, or plan on doing so
  • Only 8% of surveyed employers who have started making Brexit contingency plans said they will increase training
  • Keeping hold of the workers they currently employ is the most important aim to employers in the run-up to Brexit

CITB’s data, collated from 244 migrant workers, 400 employers and 50 recruitment agents, follows recent Labour Force Survey data. It provides fresh evidence to help inform decision-making by the UK Government, the construction sector and CITB in the run up to, and following, Brexit.

The data will inform CITB’s work with employers, the Construction Leadership Council and Government in developing a plan to secure the skills the industry needs for the future.

Commenting on the Green Paper, Steve Radley, Policy Director at CITB, said “With Brexit approaching, construction employers are expecting the recruitment of skilled workers to get harder as they anticipate restrictions on access to migrant workers. However, few employers are making firm plans to address this and instead are focusing on retaining their existing migrant workforce.

“This Green Paper highlights the need for a twin-track strategy – investing in the domestic workforce while enabling employers to continue to secure the vital talent of migrant workers. With an estimated 158,000 construction jobs to be created between now and 2022, it is critical that industry works together to deliver its part of this strategy.”

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CITB sets out solutions to construction industry skills challenges

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has set out its plans to help the industry meet critical skills challenges and secure its future workforce.

CITB’s business plan for 2019-2021 responds to industry’s demands for it to become more strategic and better focused.

The plan outlines the ‘Big Six’ skills challenges, based on research and insight from construction employers across Great Britain.

They include:

  • making construction an attractive career to a broader range of recruits
  • developing a ‘site-ready’ workforce
  • getting more construction learners to join the industry
  • growing the number and diversity of apprentices
  • helping smaller firms invest in the training that can transform their business
  • boosting the number of assessors for vocational qualifications

With an ageing workforce and the potential of losing EU workers, the industry critically needs a new generation of skilled, motivated workers. So CITB is launching a nationwide careers campaign that will attract and inspire many more recruits from all walks of life.

This big, bold campaign will highlight the many fantastic and well-paid career opportunities available, reaching groups who have traditionally been underrepresented in the industry. It will provide clear information on how to get into construction, including through apprenticeships and work experience, and will showcase the support available, such as higher CITB funding rates for apprenticeships.

Construction firms also say they struggle to find site-ready recruits. CITB will tackle this head-on by expanding the Construction Skills Fund initiative launched last year, which is funded by the Department for Education and delivered by CITB.

With 26 onsite hubs now running across England, CITB will use industry funding to create a further 20 hubs to extend the scheme to Scotland, Wales and other regions in England. These new hubs will give thousands of local people valuable onsite experience, and deliver the work-ready candidates employers need.

Construction now has more than a million small and medium sized employers, making them essential contributors to the sector and the economy. Yet many smaller firms operate on wafer-thin profit margins, making it hard for them to invest in the training that can transform their business.

In 2018 CITB helped over 1400 smaller employers access £6m in training support through its Skills and Training Fund. In the coming year, we will continue to invest by growing this fund to £8m, reaching 1900 firms.

CITB Chief Executive Sarah Beale said “Our Business Plan identifies the most pressing skills challenges we face as an industry, and sets out the detail of how CITB will work with partners to address them.

“We’ve built the plan by listening to employers and their needs, and making sure CITB is focused on a small number of really critical projects that it is best placed to deliver, whilst improving our services too.

“Working with employers, learners and education, I’m confident that this plan will help transform construction and make it fit for the future.”

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Labour to make climate change core part of school curriculum

Labour is announcing that climate change will be a core part of the curriculum from primary school onwards. The announcement comes on the same day that the UK Climate Strike Network hosts more school strikes across the country.

Under plans set out by Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner, the next Labour government will ensure all young people are educated about the ecological and social impact of climate change.

A review of the curriculum will also make certain that it focuses on the knowledge and skills that young people need in a world that will be increasingly shaped by climate change, particularly in renewable energy and green technology jobs.

Climate change adaptation and mitigation will drastically increase future demand for the knowledge and skills required for the green jobs of the future, with these skills severely underrepresented in the current curriculum.

As part of the review, an expert panel will consider how climate change and its impact are taught from primary school onwards.

One of the key demands of the climate school strikes is that the national curriculum is reformed to address the ecological crisis as an educational priority. Currently, teaching climate change is restricted to Chemistry and Geography in Key Stages 3 and 4.

Under the Conservatives, the curriculum has narrowed, with Michael Gove scrapping the last Labour government’s plans to start teaching children about the environment and climate change when they are in primary school.

Angela Rayner MP, Shadow Education Secretary, said “Today, young people are taking to the streets to send a  clear message to the government that climate change will be a fundamental and defining feature of their adult lives, and we must take the action needed to tackle it.

“We need to equip people with the knowledge to understand the enormous changes we face, and skills to work with the new green technologies that we must develop to deal with them.

“That must be part of a broad education and that prepares pupils for adult life. Climate change should be a core part of the school curriculum, and under a Labour government it will be.

“As well as teaching young people about the impact of climate change, their education must prepare them for the jobs of the future. As part of Labour’s Green Industrial Revolution to create 400,000 skilled jobs across the country, young people will be taught the skills they need.”

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Industry urges government to tackle concerns over poor-quality housing

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is calling for a new, ground-breaking piece of legislation to transform the quality of new homes in England.

The proposals would force ministers to make sure that all new housing meets ten quality, safety and placemaking ‘principles’, attributes the organisation claims collectively constitute a ‘decent’ home.

Principles put forward in the organisation’s draft ‘Healthy Homes Bill’ include a requirement that new housing is built to be safe from the risk of fire, includes adequate living space and is located within a short walk of children’s play spaces.

The call for this new legislation is a response to research the TCPA undertook with University College London (UCL), which in one case study found that, using permitted development rights, a developer had increased the number of flats in a building by 33% upon what was declared within their ‘prior approval’ application, potentially leading to overcrowding and preventing the local authority from planning to meet the needs of residents. In another example, researchers discovered a two-bed flat, again built using permitted development, having only one small window.

This announcement coincides with the centenary of the Housing and Town Planning Act 1919, a key piece of legislation which helped transform the quality and delivery of council housing, giving ordinary people a decent home.

Fiona Howie, chief executive of the TCPA, said “There is a need for more homes but it is essential that they are of a high quality. Too often that is not the case. The very worst examples we have seen have come through the deregulated conversion of old office blocks and storage facilities into housing units. The creation of these cramped and substandard housing units is even more scandalous given what we know about the impact of housing conditions on people’s health and well-being. Poor quality, badly designed housing damages people’s life chances.

“In the rush to build more homes quality and safety is being overlooked. Surely everyone should agree that is unacceptable? We have gone backwards over the last 100 years. The Healthy Homes Act will help make sure that new homes built today leave a positive legacy. We know there is cross party political support for new homes and we hope there will be cross party support for this vital piece of new legislation to help transform the kinds of homes and places we are creating now and for future generations.”

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Marley’s bespoke training supports tomorrow’s roofing generation

Marley has teamed up with Leeds College of Building to help support the next generation of roofers.

A unique one-day training course created and delivered by Marley provided an opportunity for 16 second and third year roofing apprentices to gain first-hand experience on how to compile accurate roofing estimates.

The course built upon existing construction skills developed by the students, and exposed them to the next level of training to enable them to complete a fully-fledged roof estimate.

David Cassell, Training Manager at Marley, delivered the course content. He comments: “As the construction industry continues to face an ongoing shortage of skills, including roofers, it is vital that we support the next generation coming into the sector, and providing training in areas such as roof estimating is a prime example of how we can help them build strong foundations for a career in construction.”

The training was based upon working through Marley’s comprehensive roof system, which includes tiles, underlays, battens, fixings, ventilation and dry fix solutions – all of which are tried and tested to work together seamlessly while also meeting current British Standards.

The course also covered roof constants so that the apprentices could calculate rafter, hip and valley lengths that couldn’t be measured. In addition, expert guidance was provided to students on best practice when examining roofs in plan view, using final project drawings.

With final measurements in place, by the end of the course the students were able to complete a final roof estimate using components from the Marley roof system.

David Cassell concludes: “There are many advantages to working with a complete roof system from a single manufacturer, which can ultimately help to make contractors lives easier. It enables quicker installation as the products are designed to work together, and contractors can be assured that all the components satisfy the required standards such as BS 5534 for slating and tiling.

“A complete roof system is also an ideal foundation from which accurate roof estimates can be created. I am confident that the roofing apprentices at Leeds College of Building will have gained a lot by attending this bespoke course, and going forward can utilise the knowledge they have gained for the benefit of their future careers.”

www.marley.co.uk
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Euroclad Group is delighted to announce their new Managing Director

Euroclad Group is delighted to announce the appointment of Aiveen Kearney as Managing Director. Aiveen will replace Simon Thomas who has elected to leave the company after 30 plus years.

Paul O’Gorman commented ‘On behalf of the Kingspan Group, I want to thank Simon for his considerable input and leadership into the business during the past 30 plus years and, in particular, since the acquisition by the Kingspan Group some 3 years ago. In addition, I want to wish Simon every success in his future career path over the coming years’

Aiveen will commence her role as Managing Director effective from 7th May, 2019. She joined the Joris Division some 15 months ago, prior to this worked in a range of senior roles for Holcim, a global building materials and aggregates company, in both Australia and USA.

We would like to wish Aiveen every success in her new role.

For further information please contact:
Euroclad Group
+44 (0) 2920 776677
feedback@eurocladgroup.com
www.eurocladgroup.com
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