Speaking volumes about the way ahead for construction

Oliver Lowrie, Co-Founder and Director of award-wining architectural practice, Ackroyd Lowrie, explains why volumetric offsite construction is set to become a major driver in tackling the housing crisis, renewed architectural innovation, sustainability and environmental best practice.

Oliver Lowrie

You don’t need to be an industry insider to know there is a chronic shortage of housing in the UK. The Government has pledged to deliver one million new and affordable homes by the end of 2020 – a tall order given that only 184,000 were built in 2016-17. Productivity is on the up, and whilst that is cause for celebration, it is still only marginal. As an industry, we are pressured to provide 300,000 new homes each year to meet the goal of one million. Meanwhile, every heavy industry is facing the same challenges at the core: reduce waste, drive efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint.

In 2015, only 69% of projects were completed in budget and only 40% were completed on time, exacerbated by an ageing population, insufficient training and a declining population of skilled, onsite labour. As the population grows and requirements develop, so too must our provision of services and crafts. As homebuilders, we are in a position to introduce a truly disruptive solution to the construction industry’s key challenges, and also the social and economic issues fuelled by the housing crisis.

Volumetric construction

‘Modernise or die’ was the conclusion of the famous Farmer Review which assessed the state of the UK construction industry in 2016. Volumetric construction answers the modernising call, and as such adoption is growing in the UK. However, as is often the case, we have been fairly slow at seizing opportunities. Currently some 15,000 volumetric homes are built each year in the UK.

In contrast, our international counterparts are really beginning to maximise the opportunities presented by volumetric construction, driving creativity in every aspect of the design and build processes. In Japan, a quarter of homes are built offsite; while in Sweden, more than 50% of all new detached homes are prefabricated.

Volumetric housing is a quick, high-quality, cost-effective offsite technique where entire blocks of apartments or homes are pre-manufactured in factory conditions. They are produced in a series of ‘volumes’, which are then transported to the site to be assembled and stacked, rather than ‘built’.

After drainage and foundations are laid, the entire building can be craned into place in modules. Less affected by poor weather conditions, onsite labour and supply chain delays, volumetric construction allows developers to deliver homes ‘just-in-time’ and with uncompromised quality.

The volumes can be pre-clad and include windows, with kitchens, bathrooms and even furniture pre-installed at the production location. Internal and external finishes can be installed in the factory where quality can be monitored effectively.

Building better

We are seeing, from these domestic and international projects, that offsite construction makes a real impact and drives efficiency: 44% of developments cost less, projects are delivered with an average of 75% fewer defects and build time is 65% faster (Faulkner 2016).

The legacy of postwar social housing haunts offsite construction, but advances in both the modelling software used by architects and the manufacturing capabilities of modern offsite fabricators means that beautiful, bespoke projects can be delivered in a streamlined way.

BIM models can be shared back and forth between the architect and manufacturer to ensure that quality and aesthetics are achieved. This ability to easily communicate directly with the manufacturer using 3D models reduces the opportunity for mistakes in interpretation, and therefore wasted time and materials.

Furthermore, this 3D technology can be used to ensure the building that is being fabricated totally meets the brief of the client. At Ackroyd Lowrie, we use Virtual Reality headsets to allow our clients to explore a series of different options. These are then developed into a final proposal which is fully signed off by the client before being sent to the manufacturer for production.

70% of rework on all construction projects can be attributed to onsite redesigns, which can cause major delays and be hugely expensive in terms of time and financial spend, as well as being hugely wasteful in terms of materials and energy. In gaining a better sign-off, Ackroyd Lowrie ensure that there are no surprises once the fabrication process starts.

The volumetric supplier uses this same model to overlay their structure and services, and then shares the model back with us to review – which for anyone used to the UK construction industry feels like the future.

How sustainable is it really?

Construction sites create massive amounts of waste. By contrast, factory conditions allow for works to be carefully planned to avoid wastage.

The most wasteful activities on sites often occur where there is a lack of coordination, and solutions have to be found onsite. The advantage of offsite construction is that the manufacturing process requires full coordination prior to fabrication. Furthermore, homeowners can also reap the rewards of volumetric construction, due to the improved and reliable quality.

The future of construction

Without factoring in the avoided delays of traditional builds, the volumetric route is still far quicker than onsite construction. So, whilst the housebuilding industry is not renowned for being particularly innovative, in offsite, volumetric housing we are confronted with something that will revolutionise the way we build homes and make the significant dent in the housing numbers we desperately need. Combined with efforts laid out by the UK Government, there is an opportunity to renew confidence amongst investors and suppliers. In February 2017’s Housing White Paper, the Government stated its intention to stimulate offsite construction through a £1.7Bn Accelerated Construction and a £3Bn Home Building Fund.

Driving further adoption will only increase confidence, improve profitability and level the playing field for innovation in the property sector.

 

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Waterways could provide vital construction link

Water-borne freight transportation should seriously be considered by the construction industry, according to Ian Rothen, founder of The Rothen Group.

Construction should be looking to the rivers and canals for answers to transportation problems, says Ian, with approximately 2,000 miles of navigable inland waterways in the UK, construction could use this extensive network to transport materials and pre-manufactured goods.

With Thames Tideway, constructors of the London super sewer, committing to reduce its carbon footprint by transporting as much equipment and materials by water as possible – the idea is not without merit. The project’s use of river transport will be on a scale unprecedented in modern times, seeing 4.2M tonnes of tunnel spoil (90% of excavated material) transported along the Thames.

Ian Rothen, Founder of The Rothen Group – a national independent civil engineering and maintenance business servicing UK Waterways, explains: “Much of the UK’s transportation of construction products is done via the road network, however there is an opportunity – especially for projects like HS2 where the route will cross the canals or be situated nearby – to make use of the canal network instead.”

Innovations in boat design provide a safe solution to entering awkward access sites and lifting products.

Ian comments: “For awkward access locations, the canal can sometimes be the only means of gaining safe access to a site. In these situations, it is important to use specialist boats with fitted cranes to safely lift and move product. At The Rothen Group, we have developed crane boats which can be remotely controlled from a safe distance in order to lift up to six tonnes and a reach of up to 14m.”

Additionally, using the UK’s canals and waterways for transportation of building products will not only help to take pressure off the roads, but it will also have a positive environmental impact.

Ian, says: “Carbon emissions from road vehicles coupled with the increasing congestion problems on our motorways are issues we all need to be aware of and improve. Where appropriate, water-borne freight carrying on the canal network is a viable alternative to road transportation. With careful planning, using the waterways could certainly be an option for distributors and time-pressed contractors to take advantage of.

“The Rothen Group is currently exploring ways to support freight transportation on the waterways, utilising our approved 60-strong fleet of boats, each capable of carrying up to 35 tonnes, to aid the completion of construction projects across the country.”

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Apprenticeships electrify youngsters

More than 700 youngsters have signed up to SELECT’s latest apprenticeship intake.

The high-calibre training opportunities offered by SELECT, the electrical sector’s campaigning trade body, have been compared to taking a degree as one of the most challenging learning programmes in today’s competitive employment environment.

SELECT has hailed the number of apprentices signing up this year, showing optimism in the sector despite continued marketplace uncertainty, with this year’s intake up by more than 100 from 2014. The apprenticeship courses provide places for adult apprentices as well as school leavers and younger people. The numbers tend to reflect prospects for improvement and sustainable work-flows within the construction sector.

The Scottish Joint Industry Training Board (SJIB) Apprenticeship and Adult Training Programme is managed by the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) and brings major benefits to SELECT’s members.

Bringing on a pipeline of highly-skilled professionals is also in tune with SELECT’s long-running campaign for professional recognition, which is asking for protection of title for electricians in the interests of public safety.

The health of the apprenticeship schemes for electricians was welcomed by Business, Fair Work and Skills Minister Jamie Hepburn, who said: “It is great news that so many of our young people are being given the opportunity of undertaking a Modern Apprenticeship in the electrotechnical sector and are receiving such high quality training whilst beginning their careers in this important sector.

“I also welcome SELECT’s efforts ensuring that the industry has such a strong stream of skilled people coming through. I am in no doubt that the electrotechnical sector in Scotland is crucial to delivering the modern and connected economy which we want and require in Scotland.”

Anne Galbraith, chief executive of SECTT, said: “SELECT members are effectively showing their faith in the future of the industry by investing so heavily in training and learning programmes with us.

“We need professionally-minded people who are dedicated to the highest possible standards in the electrotechnical sector and I am sure that this healthy new intake will step up to plate and further enlarge our skills pool.”

Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB said “The training scheme is the only industry approved training scheme for electrical contracting apprenticeships in Scotland. This scheme is designed to regulate the entry, conditions of service, training and education of apprentices in the electrical contracting Industry.”

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No deal is not the solution business needs

With the first of the government’s No-Deal Brexit papers published last week, the Freight Transport Association has warned that British business needs more detailed information to ensure the nation continues to trade efficiently after Brexit.

Whilst the latest papers provide some welcome advice on how to prepare contingency plans, says the FTA, more information is needed both in terms of the level of detail and the areas covered, eg: on market access for road haulage and air freight.

More importantly, logistics businesses need workable solutions to aim higher than damage control, and to keep Britain trading.

Speaking as the Department for Exiting the EU began the publication of the government’s strategy papers, Sarah Laouadi, FTA’s European Policy Manager urged negotiators to push for a solution to the issues still to be decided by the two sides.

“No deal would be disastrous for logistics,” she said. “While preparing for every eventuality, including a no deal position, is a sound strategy, it should not be the end game which negotiators accept. There are clear problems which could face our supply chain if agreements cannot be reached including customs and border arrangements, the continuity of trade agreements and vehicle permits, as well as the continuation of business access to EU workers. Solutions for these areas are key to the continued success of British business, both at home and abroad, after 29 March 2019.”

As Ms Laouadi continued, the UK’s logistics industry is a key component in the nation’s economic success, but one which still needs answers if British business is to continue to prosper:

“The UK’s supply chain is the blood in the veins of the UK’s economy, keeping schools, hospitals and businesses stocked, shop shelves full and retailers provided with the goods they need to prosper. Without quick progress on the key elements that FTA has outlined, the resulting disruption could have disastrous impacts for British and EU business. A no-deal agreement should only be considered once every opportunity to reach a deal has been explored. Negotiators on both sides need to keep working to ensure that Britain and the EU keep on trading, day in, day out.”

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Balfour Beatty backs offsite construction

With the latest government paper on construction productivity focusing on offsite manufacturing, Balfour Beatty has shown its commitment to lowering costs and emissions with the launch of its policy papers: “25% by 2025: Streamlined construction – seven steps to offsite and modular building”.

In the paper, Balfour Beatty commits to the reducing the amount of work undertaken onsite by 25% by 2025. The commitment is enhanced by a promise to work with government and other members of the construction industry, to modernise the industry and drive change.

The paper also calls for the industry to share best practice and learn from the manufacturing sector, with the new generation of industrialised construction methods, including offsite and modular building techniques offering the UK construction industry one of the largest opportunities available of any sector to transform its model.

Balfour Beatty recognises that industrialised construction is the best way to shift 25% of its current output by 2025 to a solution that can critically improve safety, radically enhance productivity and quality but also create new expertise with the potential to be a massive export opportunity.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: “On a national level, industrialised construction would lead to the creation of thousands of jobs across the country over the next few years – if we invest now.

“For everyone in construction to reap the rewards of industrialised construction the industry must increase the pace of change while the public sector and other infrastructure commissioners need to fund schemes that utilise industrialised techniques.”

You can read the paper in full: Here

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National Grid awards £35M Croydon Cable Contract

National Grid has awarded a £35M contract to install essential power cable in Croydon.

With J Murphy & Sons Limited appointed as the contractor for the scheme, designs can now be progressed and work is expected to begin on site in October 2018.

The project involves the replacement of one of two high-voltage underground cables near Croydon in South London, and as such is part of the country’s essential power networks. The current cable is nearing the end of its asset life and National Grid has decided to replace the circuit with a new ‘XLPE’ cable system. The new cable will be installed inside the existing Croydon tunnel, increasing both the performance and resilience of the network.

As well as designing, installing and testing the new cable, work will also include replacing the tunnel ventilation and telecommunications system.

Murphy CEO John Murphy said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this contract and look forward to developing our relationship with National Grid to carry out this essential work. We have decades of experience installing cables, as well as building the tunnels that house them. I’m pleased we can use our engineering expertise to play our part in upgrading the country’s power highways and maintaining reliable supplies for millions of consumers.”

James Kennerley, National Grid Project Engineer said: “National Grid are pleased to be working with J Murphy & Sons Limited on what is an important asset replacement project which will provide security of electricity supplies across South London. By installing cables within tunnels, National Grid are taking these assets away from the highway and reducing the incidences of disruption due to roadworks across the Croydon and wider London area.  Throughout the extensive tender period, National Grid were impressed by J Murphy & Son’s technical solution to the complex engineering challenges this project entails, and look forward to implementing these innovative construction methodologies during the works.”

The contract was awarded following a competitive tender to undertake the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of a new 400kV cable circuit between the Beddington and Rowdown substations, through the existing Croydon tunnel. The installation and related work is due to be completed by October 2020.

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Construction firms back renewable energy

Over 60% of UK construction firms are backing renewable energy solutions, according to new research from Haven Power, one of the UK’s largest business electricity suppliers.

The research has revealed that over 60% of firms in the construction industry think renewable energy solutions are the key to ensuring a clean future, with two fifths of those surveyed believe more needs to be done to reduce carbon emissions.

In the survey, designed to assess future energy requirements, utility decision makers in the construction industry cited energy usage as one of their top three business priorities (45%), alongside employment (53%) and office management (49%). Additionally, three in five firms liked the idea of selling energy back to the grid, further highlighting the industry’s appetite for sustainability. In comparison, only 40% of businesses in the Food and Beverage sector liked the idea of reselling energy.

Despite being one of the more progressive industries when it came to implementing sustainable change, there were still barriers preventing the sector from getting started. Firms cited cost (40%) and uncertainty on how to speak to investors or senior management teams (33%) as obstacles to reaching their sustainability goals.

Paul Sheffield, Chief Operating Officer at Haven Power, commented: “It’s extremely encouraging to see that such a high proportion of firms in the construction sector believe in renewables, with a third already having onsite battery storage installed (35%). However, it’s clear more needs to be done to demonstrate the wider opportunities and benefits of renewable energy, as some firms in the industry are still unsure how to broach the subject with senior teams. To ensure the future of British business is low carbon, conversations are needed from the board level down.”

When asked to list whose responsibility it is to lower carbon emissions, construction firms placed energy suppliers in shared top position with manufacturers (50%), ahead of the Government (39%). In comparison, the majority of other industries surveyed put the responsibility largely on the energy provider, such as agricultural businesses (83%).

Paul Sheffield continued: “Understanding of renewable energy and its benefits varies greatly from sector to sector, but it’s great to see construction firms are taking steps towards a more sustainable future. It’s imperative that organisations of all sizes work together with their energy provider to implement changes that will be beneficial to everyone. Here at Haven Power we are keen to help businesses understand the wider benefits of renewables.”

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£42M Tidal Flood Scheme for Hull

Proposals for a multi-million pound flood defence scheme for Hull have been released.

The proposals, which make up the Humber Hull Frontage Improvement Scheme, will better protect the area from flooding, saving thousands of homes from the trauma and costs of a flood.

Permission is being sought from Hull’s planning departments for the £42M scheme at Victoria Dock Village East, which will cover an approximately eight kilometer stretch of the Humber Estuary. The scheme will be led by the Environment Agency, and if approved, work will start at the end of the year and will be completed by the end of 2020. Contractor BMM JV – a joint venture between BAM Nuttall and Mott MacDonald – has been brought on board to deliver the project.

In the past 65 years, there have been three major tidal events in Hull, with over 264 properties damaged in December 2013. During high tides, water levels have the potential to rise to around one to three metres above some parts of the city.

Over the last few years, the Environment Agency has reviewed the existing Humber flood defences from Fleet Drain to the west of the city, through Hull, to Lord’s Clough in the east. This work has identified the nine sites where work is now being proposed, including: St Andrew’s Quay, Albert Dock and Victoria Dock Village for improved defences.

Helen Tattersdale, project manager at the Environment Agency, said: “It is vital for Hull to have improved defences to protect against the potential devastating tidal flooding from the Humber Estuary.

“This investment has enabled us to assess a significant length of the current flood defence walls and embankments that run along the Hull frontage to come up with a scheme that will better protect the city both now and in the future taking into account climate change.

“Over the past few months, we have been gathering feedback on aspects of the design from local residents and landowners, and other interested organisations including Natural England, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Hull City Council which have been taken into account in our proposals.”

The Humber Hull Frontage Improvement Scheme is one of a number of tidal flood alleviation projects that form part of the Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy. The Environment Agency and local partners are now in the process of developing an advanced approach to managing flooding in tidal areas by the River Humber for the next 100 years.

These improvements in Hull are supported by a further four kilometres (2.5 mile) of new and raised tidal defences on either side of the city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, at Hessle and Paull, delivered by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in partnership with the Environment Agency.

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Skills deficit drives wages up

New research has revealed the effect that the skills shortage within the construction industry is having on wages, with some roles seeing hourly rates more than doubling in the last four years.

According to the data from software and service supplier, Engage Technology Partners, Crawler Crane Operators have noted the greatest increase in rates (82%) in the years 2015 – 2018, with much of this demand likely coming from the Crossrail project.

EWP operators saw the second greatest rise in pay with a 77% increase, while Electrical Testers ranked third on the list with a growth in wages of 66%. In comparison, roles such as Maintenance Carpenter and Ground / Highway Labourer have reported a dip in pay, noting a decrease of 27% and 19% respectively over the last four years.

This information comes at a time when the latest Barbour ABI Economic & Construction Market Review suggests the industry is facing a dip in activity, with the value of new construction contracts awarded in June 2018 reportedly the lowest figure in more than five years.

Drey Francis, Director at Engage commented on the data: “The construction industry has long struggled with a skills shortage that has arguably been exacerbated by the stereotype of the industry as ‘male-only’ and the perception that it is not a ‘career of choice’ for most. However, this dearth of talent has led to many employers using financial incentives to source the professionals they need to do the job – hence the stark rise in hourly pay that we’ve noted in recent years.

“Given the current drop in project contracts, though, this increase in pay is certainly a worry for employers who will have to juggle resourcing needs and strict budgets. However, while the likes of Crawler Crane Operators can currently demand higher wages, firms can streamline costs elsewhere – through more efficient administrative reporting and timesheet monitoring systems – to better ensure their business withstands this slow period.”

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Britain’s biggest union calls for Carillion public inquiry

Unite, the UK’s largest union, has called for a public inquiry into the collapse of Carillion – including the government’s handling of contract awards – following a recent Dispatches investigation.

In the programme, which aired on Channel 4 last week, senior business analysts compared the Carillion operation to that of a Ponzi Scheme, saying that it was possibly insolvent in 2016 but continued to trade for over a year.

Dispatches also outlined the ‘aggressive accounting’ practices said to have taken place during Richard Adam’s tenure as Finance Director. Allegedly, accountants who forecast losses on major schemes were instructed to re-work the numbers to show only profitable projects.

The government’s approach to contract awards has also come under fire. In June, Unite was among the many organisations voicing their concern at the government’s decision to award a 12 year contract to outsource the Ministry of Defence’s firefighter service to Capita, despite the company having a financial health score of three out of 10.

“As information continues to emerge about the collapse of Carillion, the need for a public inquiry grows,” said Unite Assistant General Secretary Gail Cartmail. “Thousands of workers have lost their jobs and companies in the supply chain have gone to the wall, though no fault of their own and yet no one has been held responsible.

“Rather than learn from its huge errors which contributed to Carillion’s collapse the government is acting as though it is business as normal. There is a growing concern that the government’s inaction could result in further collapses of outsourcing giants resulting yet again with workers losing their jobs and the taxpayer picking up the tab.”

When Carillion sank into liquidation it was employing 19,000 people, with a further 35,000 people employed by it’s sub-contractors and across its enormous supply chain.

The company went bust with seven billion pounds of liabilities and only £25 million in the bank. The cost of breaking up and closing the company exceeds £50 million in fees charged by auditors PwC alone. According to Unite, the taxpayer will have to pick up the bill for both the auditors fees and the cost of making thousands of staff redundant.

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FMB: Drop in EU migrant workers sounds alarm bells for UK construction

The dramatic decline in EU net migration should sound alarm bells for the UK construction industry, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said.

In response to the newly published ‘Migration Statistics Quarterly Report for August 2018‘ – authored by the Office for National Statistics – Sarah McMonagle, Director of External Affairs at the FMB, said: “EU net migration is at its lowest level since 2012 and this is deeply worry for those sectors that rely on workers from the EU. Despite the fact that we are still operating under the free movement of people, we’re already seeing far fewer EU workers coming to the UK and a greater number leaving our shores. This could be due to financial reasons since the depreciation of sterling following the EU referendum, which means that if these workers are sending money home, or saving up, their UK wages are now worth less. It could also, quite simply, be that some EU workers no longer feel welcome.”

According to McMonagle, this leaves the UK construction sector in a potentially vulnerable position: “The drop in EU net migration is a particular problem for industries like construction. At present, 9% of our construction workers are from the EU and therefore we are more reliant than most on EU workers. In London, this proportion rises to nearly one third. We can’t afford to lose any more EU workers as currently two-thirds of construction SMEs are struggling to hire bricklayers and 60% are struggling to hire carpenters and joiners.”

McMonagle concluded: “If the government wants its new homes and infrastructure projects built, it needs to do more to back up our industry’s message to all EU workers – they are welcome and they do have a bright future here in the UK.”

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Driving performance in housebuilding through technical innovation

In this article, we speak with Oliver Novakovic, Technical and Innovation Manager at Barratt Developments Plc, about the changes underway in house construction and what the future holds.

As the UK’s largest and best-known housebuilder, one of our core business priorities is to lead the industry through our approach to innovation and new building methods. If housebuilding wants to be able to deliver more homes whilst maintaining the highest safety and quality standards, it needs to embrace the best new methods of both onsite and offsite construction. Or, as the 2016 Mark Farmer report put it rather more succinctly, “Modernise or Die”.

Another equally important reason for investing in modern methods of construction (MMC) is to help address the current skills shortage. As the interim report in June from Sir Oliver Letwin pointed out, the industry urgently needs another 15,000 bricklayers to be trained over the next five years. Put simply we need more people to join the industry, particularly if we are all going to stand a chance of hitting the government’s 300,000 homes target.

Which is why in 2014 we set ourselves the target of having 20% of our housing output contain an element of offsite construction by 2020. Over a two-year period we evaluated over 150 different suppliers and technology types. We are now trialling a variety of MMC, all of which will help us change our build profile in different ways. Whilst there are pros and cons to each of the systems, they all help us to reduce our reliance on particular trades, speed up build times, improve safety and, when used at scale, maintain efficient costs.

The most widely used of these is timber frame construction, which we will use to build over 1,600 homes in 2018. Using timber frame has increased our build speed and changed our labour demand profile. In particular, it changes the demand profile for bricklayers, enabling the existing bricklaying labour pool to operate more efficiently, so helping increase overall build volumes. Timber frame construction is actually one of the oldest methods of building a home, accounting for around 20% of the homes being built in the UK, and is fully covered by the NHBC standards and mortgage providers. However, its use is extremely regional. Nearly every new home in Scotland is built using timber frame, whereas in England its usage, while growing, is still much less common.

We are also looking closely at large format block construction. We recently hosted Secretary of State Sajid Javid at our site in Banbury for him to see the system, which consists of large format blocks that are 15 times larger than traditional blocks, with an integrated floor, wall and roof. The blocks create a watertight, inner-leaf shell using the same material as aircrete blocks, and are fixed using a thin mortar joint system. We are currently looking to roll this technology out across six of our divisions in the Midlands and South West, and just like timber frame methods, it enables us to speed up construction whilst reducing the amount of labour needed to build the homes.

The third main method we are actively trialling is light gauge steel frame construction. We have recently finished a successful trial project with Fusion Building Systems at our development in Cane Hill near Croydon, where we constructed social housing and private for sale apartments using this method. We are now further trialling the Fusion system with more of our divisions. As Mike Fairey, Fusion’s director, said: “The UK housing shortage is no secret and with building sites suffering a decline in available skilled workers, offsite construction is one way developers can ensure their build programmes deliver homes on time and on budget.”

Despite the success of these methods, we have not stopped there. We have previously hosted a ‘Barratt Innovation Challenge Sandpit’. A ‘Sandpit’ is an approach to supplier engagement which allows direct dialogue between our business and suppliers of exciting future technologies through a day of interactive workshops. The aim was to pool ideas for technology and process innovations that drive cost, quality and speed benefits whilst looking to use diverse skill sets. Among the ideas mooted were onsite safety solutions, alternative insulation applications and prefabricated masonry walling systems. At the end of the day we selected five products to be taken to an initial product review. One of these, an offsite flooring system from a company called Nu-Span, has already been installed on over 2,500 of our houses.

In total over the past four years we have looked at over 150 innovative systems, the majority of which have been offsite technologies. We have applied over 17 innovations on sites with our divisions, of which we are currently trialling or rolling out 12 more widely across the business.

A group of our board directors and senior managers have also just returned from a European research trip to study offsite manufacturing techniques and new housebuilding technologies in countries that have parallel housing demand profiles and similarities to the UK. The group toured Holland and Germany, visiting Streif (to look at advanced timber systems in panelised format), Ursem in Holland (to look at volumetric modular buildings) and dBRG (to look at large format concrete). Such research trips are beneficial in that they push us to think differently. It helped us to validate some of our technology choices and reinforced our overall approach to MMC and offsite construction techniques.

As our chief operating officer, Steven Boyes, said: “As the UK’s largest housebuilder we like to think we lead the housebuilding industry in this area, not least because of the breadth of technologies we are actively trialling and the strength of our supply chain relationships. Our move to embrace offsite technology is also based on addressing the long-term skills shortages that we are seeing in the UK housing sector and is intended to help ensure predictability of build cost and programmes. It’s vital that all of the technologies we use and offsite supply chain partners that we select can work with us effectively to deliver the high quality that we need.”

Ultimately, the benefits of these technologies are maximised when they complement, rather than replace, traditional construction methods. By investing in these modern methods of construction now we are hopefully making ourselves more resilient to deliver the high quality homes the country needs in the future. In the middle of a housing crisis where the industry is attacked for not building enough, that can only be a good thing.

 

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New era for Newcastle as city’s tallest ever crane is installed

Installation of a 110 metre tall luffing crane has signaled a new era for residential development in Newcastle, according to property specialist Surrenden Investment.

The enormous crane, thought to be the largest installed in Newcastle to date, will enable the next phase of Surrenden’s Hadrian’s Tower development – itself set to become the city’s tallest structure. Stretching 27-storeys high, Hadrian’s Tower will prove an exciting new addition to the Newcastle skyline, providing first-class urban accommodation to its residents.

With an eight-tonne load capacity, the 110 metre luffing crane – which has a reach of 127 metres – will lift everything from concrete slabs to cladding materials. “This is a complex operation, due to the size of the crane. Even the mobile crane that is used to install it is enormous,” said Keith McDougall, Operations Director at High Street Residential Ltd. “It will then remain on site for a year and the development will be visible from most entry points into the city during that time.

“We believe this will be the tallest crane that has ever been used in Newcastle. The angle of the luffing jib means that the whole structure will have a reach of 127 metres. I can’t see any reason why any of the city’s current buildings would have required a crane of this scale.”

For Surrenden, the crane’s installation marks an exciting milestone in the building’s progress and is expected to generate considerable local interest. It also signifies the city’s official arrival on the global investment map.

“There’s no doubt that Newcastle has ‘arrived’ in terms of its investment credentials,” said Jonathan Stephens, Managing Director of Surrenden Invest. “We’re talking to a lot of investors who are keen to be part of the city’s future. There’s already plenty of regeneration work underway in Newcastle and some really exciting schemes, but nothing of this height. That’s why we’re so excited to be part of this step-change for the city’s property market.”

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Homes fit for Brits

The British take their homes seriously. If we’re not putting up shelves, mowing the lawn or staining the fence, we’re no doubt watching Grand Designs explaining to each other knowingly why that space-age carbon-neutral windmill will never come in on budget. But when it comes to what we really value in a home, the picture becomes more complicated.

How important is energy efficiency? Do people consider fire safety when buying a house? Or long-term maintenance? Or is it really all about location? Modern Masonry commissioned a survey of 2,000 home owners and renters to find out what architects and specifiers should be considering when approaching any new build project. Here are some of the core findings:

Materials matter

One of the most surprising findings from the survey was that three-quarters of all owners (76%) have never asked what a building is made of when buying it as their home. 23% don’t know what type of walls their house has, and 20% don’t know what their floors are made from. There is, however, an acknowledgement that it matters. The overwhelming majority – 90.1% – thought people should be told what building materials have been used before buying or renting a property.

While they may not consciously choose a home based on its structure, the attributes people deem most important are directly affected by the choice of construction materials. It is therefore the responsibility of the architect – and the whole project team – to ensure the construction and the build quality delivers what people value most.

Safe as houses

The highest rated of 14 factors when choosing a new home was fire safety – with 61% viewing it as ‘very important’. This was closely followed by durability over a 60-year-plus lifetime (59%), robust construction (58%) and energy efficiency (56%). More people deemed efficient central heating ‘very important’ (56%) than having a garden (54%). Alongside the tangible impact of reducing bills, well-heated spaces also add to the less measurable quality of cosiness – an attribute that was cited by a considerable number of respondents as the thing they love most about their home.

Sound affects

Material choice also plays a part in the crucial quality of sound insulation. When it comes to what they dislike most, the answer was clear: bad neighbours. This was the negative impact that had affected most respondents (33%), and which they feared most (22%). It is hardly surprising that quiet was considered a ‘very important’ or ‘somewhat important’ factor by 91% of people.

 Shock of the new

The good news for residential architects is that new-builds have a solid level of support, with 60% saying they would consider moving to a newly completed home (and a further 9% saying they already lived in one). Despite our TV habits, only 6% would describe their dream home as ‘a contemporary Grand Design’ and another 6% a ’period home’. There also seems to be a general perception that new buildings perform better, in particular on energy efficiency, with the highest proportion of respondents – 50% – voting it one of the main influences behind the design of houses and the materials used.

A climate of confidence

But to maintain, and increase, the trust of the house buying public, architects and the supply chain need to stay focused on the challenges ahead. It will be their responsibility to prevent minor concerns from becoming bigger problems.

It is noticeable that people principally worry about things that they’ve experienced in the past. But the impact of climate change, and the increasing incidence of extreme weather events, will mean unfamiliar perils such as flooding and overheating could become much more common within a matter of years.

Overheating is a concern for only a small proportion (6%) at present, but there is already awareness that it could worsen: 82% said that building construction that could reduce summer overheating was ‘very’ or ‘somewhat important’ in their choice of home, though only 6% thought that this was a key consideration in current housing design. Ditto flood resilience: a ‘very’ or ‘somewhat important’ factor in the choice of a new home for 87% of people, though only 17% felt it was currently a top priority for designers. This emphasises the fact the housebuilding industry cannot afford to ignore the impact of the future climate on today’s new homes.

 

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£1 billion transformation of Manchester Airport taking shape

Manchester Airport has celebrated a year of construction as the largest investment programme in its 80 year history takes shape.

Once complete, Manchester Airport will have invested an astonishing £1 billion to transform Terminal 2 into a brand new operational HQ – boosting the building’s size by 150% in the process. Already the airport’s skyline has changed dramatically as the first pier is built and over 70% of the steelwork required for the extension is erected.

Around 1,200 people are working on site currently – including 80 apprentices, in trades ranging from plumbing and scaffolding to quantity surveying and civil engineering. At the project’s peak in early 2019 almost 1,500 people will be working on site, with 150 apprentices targeted.

Celebrating the achievement, Andrew Cowan – CEO of Manchester Airport – said: “This is the largest investment ever made in the airport and will transform the experience for our passengers and airlines alike, as well as creating job and training opportunities for local people and boosting businesses working on the scheme in the process.

“I’m excited to see the first pier open to passengers in just eight months’ time and to press ahead with the rest of the scheme, especially the new terminal building, which is in course to be open to passengers by mid-2020. Walking around the site, you really get a scale for how big the project is and the benefits its delivering for not only people securing jobs on the site but also the companies from across the north working on the scheme.”

The first pier is expected to open to passengers in April 2019. At 216 metres long it would be the tallest building in Manchester if stood upright. The terminal extension remains on course to open in 2020.

To enable the new pier and terminal extension to be built, work has also progressed on the airfield proper. During the first phase of airfield works the apron will be extended to the west; including new taxiways and apron reconfiguration to allow the pier and additional aircraft stands to be used.

Following the terminal extension, the next pier is scheduled to open in 2022 and the refurbishment of the existing Terminal 2 building will also complete that year. Terminal 1 is currently scheduled to close by 2023, while a third pier set to open in 2024. Once completed, Terminal 2 will have the capacity to handle over 35 million passengers per year.

Bryan Glass, Laing O’Rourke Project Director, said: “We’re on schedule to deliver the transformation of Terminal 2 and that certainty of delivery has been driven by our offsite construction approach, with elements of the project manufactured offsite and assembled by our expert project team and technicians. There’s no room for complacency of course! Our team is focused on the next milestone – hand over of the first pier in January 2019.”

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Housebuilding pledge under threat

Despite a government rallying cry about addressing the housing crisis pushing for the creation of new home across the UK, housebuilding statistics are registering a fall in production.

The latest statistics from March Quarter 2018, show that new build dwelling starts in England have dropped five per cent compared to the previous quarter, and eight per cent decrease compared with the same quarter the previous year.

The Prime Minister has made much of her manifesto pledge to create homes for the people who need them. The Conservative party renewed its 2015 commitment to build one million new homes by the end of 2020 during campaigning ahead of the 2017 general election last June; yet it appears actions towards solving the housing crisis are having little effect. If the rate of construction is not reversed, the gap between the number of homes delivered and the homes needed and pledged will widen to nearly 100,000.

The battle to help solve the housing crisis is not helped by the merry go round of ministers in the Department for Housing, with Kit Malthouse recently becoming the 17^th Housing Minister in 20 years, and the third in the last two years.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, released figures at the end of June which show new homes starts have also fallen year on year. Annual new build dwelling starts totalled 157,480 in the year to March 2018, down by three per cent compared with the year to March 2017. During the same period, completions totalled 160,470, an increase of eight per cent compared with the previous year.

Private enterprise new build dwelling starts (seasonally adjusted) in the quarter to March 2018 were also down by three per cent from the previous quarter, and completions were also down by nine per cent. Starts by housing associations were 14% lower compared to the last quarter and completions ten per cent lower.

All starts are now 109% per cent above the trough in the March quarter 2009, but 14% below the March quarter 2007 peak. All completions are 50% above the trough in the March quarter 2013, and nine per cent below the March quarter 2007 peak. The rate of new building has been growing steadily since 2013 – and that trend is continuing through 2017 and 2018.

The anticipated failure of Conservative housing policy in England hasn’t stopped the Government making even bolder promises. In last November’s Autumn Budget, Mr Hammond pledged that 300,000 new homes would be built every year by the mid-2020s.

The evidence of insufficient housebuilding was further compounded in May, when the National Housing Federation – which represents housing associations in England, social landlords to five million people – and Crisis, the national charity for homeless people, released research conducted by Heriot-Watt University showing that England’s total housing need backlog has reached four million homes.

The research came ahead of the publication of the Government’s social housing green paper, expected in the summer. The Government promised the green paper, announced in September last year after the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, would bring about a “fundamental rethink” of social housing in the UK.

It will take time to build up the country’s affordable housebuilding programme to the levels needed but lessons from the past show that, with government backing to release land at affordable prices and to increase investment, housing associations and councils have the potential to increase the supply of new homes for social rents, and low cost home ownership. In post war years until the 1970s councils regularly built more than 100,000 homes a year and previous research shows that an increase in housebuilding alone would lead to a decrease in the most acute levels of homelessness.

Instead, Government funding for social housing has been steadily declining for decades: in 1975/76, investment in social housing stood at more than £18Bn a year, but had declined to just £1.1Bn in 2015/16. Over the same period, the housing benefit bill grew from £4Bn to £24.2Bn each year.

David Orr, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “This groundbreaking new research shows the epic scale of the housing crisis in England. The shortfall of homes can’t be met overnight – instead, we need an urgent effort from the Government to meet this need, before it publishes its social housing green paper in the summer.

“The green paper will set out the Government’s approach to tackling a number of key issues, like stigma of social housing tenants. However, it is clear that many of these stem from a chronic underinvestment in affordable housing. Fixing this should be the Government’s top priority. As a first step, ministers should make the £2Bn they promised for social rent available immediately.

“The Government must also totally change the way it sells surplus land. The priority here must be supporting developments that will deliver a public good on public land, rather than simply selling it off to the highest bidder.”

Jon Sparkes, Chief executive of Crisis, said: “[These] findings are stark and shocking, but they also represent a huge opportunity for us as a country to get to grips with our housing and homelessness crisis – and to end it once and for all.

“Right now across England, councils are desperately struggling to find homeless people somewhere to live. This means thousands of people are ending up trapped in B&Bs and hostels or on the streets, exposed to danger every night. It also means that far too many people are living on a knife edge, in danger of losing their homes because of sky-high housing costs.

“But we know that homelessness is not inevitable and that with the right action, it can become a thing of the past. To truly get to grips with this crisis and ensure everyone has a safe and stable home, we must build the social and affordable housing we need to end homelessness once and for all.”

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Construction industry out in force at Manchester Pride this weekend

An alliance of construction companies working to build LGBT+ inclusion will together deliver the biggest show of equality, diversity and inclusion the North West construction sector has ever seen at Manchester Pride this weekend.

Now in its second year at Manchester Pride, the alliance – known as Building Equality – has doubled in size since 2017; with even more senior leadership visibility than ever before and over 100 representatives from 18 different organisations taking part.

On Friday 24 August between 8am and 7pm at Exchange Square in Manchester, the public is invited to find out more about the work Building Equality is doing to make construction a more diverse and inclusive sector, in addition to discussing careers and opportunities.

Then, in Saturday’s weekend showcase celebration, Building Equality will be joined by sponsors; Flannery, A-Plant and Hays to march together alongside the rainbow JCB to boost awareness of LGBT+ employees working in the construction industry.

Building Equality is comprised of representatives from construction consultants, engineers, developers and contractors who are passionate about working together and harnessing their collective power to drive LGBT+ inclusion in the construction industry.

According Luke Ives, Chair of Manchester Building Equality and Co-Chair of the Balfour Beatty LGBT+ & Allies Network: “Building Equality is paving the way for an open and inclusive industry, which promotes discussion on equality, diversity and inclusion – opening channels for issues and opportunities to be acted upon. Allowing all in the construction industry to be their true selves benefits everyone – not only to attract and retain the best talent but by providing access to a wide range of perspectives, encouraging creativity and improving performance.”

John Doyle, Co-Chair of Manchester Building Equality and RICS North-West Regional Board Member added: “Everyone has the right to come to work and be their very best selves. No one should ever have to hide who they are, or accept discrimination. Building Equality provides a platform to show future generations that line the streets of the parade route, that you can be whatever you want to be, and not just be proud, but be fully supported and respected within the construction industry here in Manchester.”

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Did Grenfell Tower negligence breach the human rights of residents?

One year on from the catastrophic Grenfell Tower fire, the British Safety Council has welcomed a challenge to the UK government asserting that the failure to address the risk to life posed by flammable external cladding was a breach of human rights.

In an incendiary letter addressing the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) expressed significant concern over the continued use of ‘Grenfell like’ combustible cladding in existing buildings and reminded the department of its responsibility under human rights laws to protect lives.

According to the commission, consultation on the use of external cladding omits any reference to the government’s duty to protect lives under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Schedule 1 to the Human Rights Act 1998.

“The British Safety Council has participated in the consultation, calling for much tighter building controls, clearer guidance and effective enforcement,” said Lawrence Waterman, Chairman of the British Safety Council. “The EHRC intervention takes a wider view and supports our long-held and consistent argument that health and safety is a crucial underpinning of the human right to life.”

Waterman continued: “The British Safety Council vision of no-one being injured or made ill by their work will only be realised when everyone cooperates to defend this basic human right for all. We call on the government to take a much clearer lead and responsibility for past failures to protect life so tragically highlighted by the Grenfell Tower fire.”

More information about the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s case can be found on the organisation’s website.

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The UK’s housing problem and flooding

In this article we speak to Simon Crowther, Founder and MD of Flood Protection Solutions, about housing infrastructure in the UK and whether it can cope with another million homes within the next few years.

Population change over the last decade has called for a greater number of homes to be built every year, but the UK is already one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, so where do we put everyone?

To make matters worse, we have been subject to more flooding than ever in recent history, and planners must understand that an increase in impermeable surfaces will only exacerbate this further by increasing overland flow and reducing infiltration into the ground.

To solve one problem may only create another, so both need to be addressed in harmony.

The UK’s population has seen sharp increases in recent years. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, it took over 40 years for the population to increase from 50M to 60M. However, since hitting 60M in 2005, it is estimated that the population will reach 70M by 2027. It is estimated the current population has swollen to 66.5M. The concern with this rapidly rising population is where to put everyone.

The Government set a target in 2015 to build 200,000 houses a year, so that by 2020 one million new homes would have been built. Incredibly, this target was deemed too small and in 2017 it was increased to 250,000 homes a year with the suggestion that the target should rise to 300,000 a year.

The problem being seen in the UK is where to put all these houses. Recently, councils have seen increased pressure from government to stop avoiding targets or adopting ‘not in my back yard’ approaches to housebuilding. In fact, Sajid Javid, the former Communities Secretary, told councils that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government would be ‘breathing down their neck’ to make sure targets were met (Khan, 2018).

This pressure, and sense of building quickly to meet targets, poses a real problem to flood risk.

According to Know Your Flood Risk, one in six homes in the UK at present is at risk of flooding. There is no doubt that the UK has seen a rise in flooding issues in recent history, with climate change and land management practices driving an increase in events.

One factor that has contributed to the rise in flooding is the increase in impermeable surfaces with rapid urbanisation. Higher impermeable cover leads to increased surface runoff, a driver of flooding. More and more houses being built will only increase the percentage of impermeable cover, which will continue to exacerbate the issue. The land can no longer absorb rainfall if it is built over; instead, water runs off impermeable surfaces into drains which can become overwhelmed, and into rivers, increasing the flood risk in multiple areas. It is unlikely that old drainage systems will be able to cope with the increased burden, and thus sewer and surface water flooding will be more prevalent.

Floodplains continue to be built on despite understanding the associated risks, a trend that is set to continue. Floodplains are viewed as attractive by developers due to their flat topography, but the nature of them, and their natural function, means any homes are very likely to be hit by flooding in their lifetime.

Building more homes will naturally put greater pressure on our infrastructure networks. With no change to them, roads will become more congested, schools and hospitals will be at capacity and everyone will suffer. Expansion to these areas will greatly increase the amount of impermeability in the area, especially when the development is on rural, pastoral land. Currently this land helps to store water and reduce surface water runoff.

The longer-term effects of development and the attempts to meet housing targets need to be considered, so that appropriate action can take place to protect whole catchments. As is the nature of catchments, actions in one area will have consequences in another. Ideally, developers would consider these effects, but that may not always be the case. Nevertheless, new houses should be built with flooding in mind as increasing their flood resilience could negate effects further down the line.

Flood resilience can be incorporated into new buildings, and it makes far more sense to build with flood resilience in mind rather than retrospectively fitting it after a flood. Flood resilience may include items such as lime plaster, ceramic tiles, and raising up electrical sockets and appliances. The idea is that if the property is flooded, it can be repaired faster and with less cost, minimising any disruption. New-build developments could also include flood defences such as integral sumps and pumps, or even community flood kits on the development. Developments should incorporate sustainable urban drainage schemes (SUDS) and use permeable paving, along with ensuring maintenance of these systems is undertaken.

There could be policy shifts to reduce the country’s flood risk such as increasing wetland and woodland cover and returning rivers to their natural courses; however, these are long-term, large-scale options.

The only way to tackle the housing problem is to build more houses, but with flooding incidents ever increasing, the effects of development need to be considered in the planning stages with Flood Risk Assessments. If this is done, along with modifications to improve residential flood resilience, we may halt the rise of flood events in the country. Flooding is the biggest threat the UK faces as a result of climate change, and therefore flood risk must not be ignored.

 

References

Khan S. (2018). ‘Councils must meet house-building targets or lose planning powers, Government says’. Independent, March 2018. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/house-building-council-targets-planning-powers-new-policy-a8238616.html#gallery. Accessed: 15/05/2018.

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Benefiting from local knowledge for international projects

Language barriers, different cultural expectations and a whole new set of engineering standards – managing an international project can be daunting.

Here, Dave Friar – Operations Director at engineering specialist Boulting Ltd – explains why working closely with local engineers when managing construction and commissioning of international facilities can lessen the headache.

Managing international commissions can be a minefield of differing standards, cultural expectations and languages. However, if you engage with local engineers as early as possible and work closely with them to share knowledge you’ll find that things run a lot smoother.

Knowledge Sharing

The most obvious benefit from employing local engineers is gaining their insight and knowledge. Not only can they help you navigate cultural expectations of local organisations and potential future employees at the site, they can also support you in selecting the right local suppliers.

In addition, they will obviously speak the local language. This is a great help as it means you don’t have to staff your own teams with an array of translators. Local staff can also support you in translating necessary forms or induction documents.

Maintaining your Standards

It’s important that you invest time in the local team you put together to train them to work to your expectations. For instance, at Boulting we train all engineers we work with around the world to maintain British standards, such as electrical installation standard BS 7671, as well as various health and safety standards.

Not only does this make sure your facility is built to the highest standard, and in keeping with any other facility you have around the world, you’re also building a base of local support for the future.

No matter how well the initial commission, development and deployment goes, you can’t predict what may go wrong in the future. Should something break down or require servicing further down the line you know there is reliable, local support. For example, we hold familiarisation training with our client’s competent engineers, so that they fully understand the functionality and any unique features or requirements of our equipment installed.

Giving Back to the Global Community

Investing time to train engineers in all these different aspects of working on a UK-led project builds the skills base in that region, contributing to closing the international engineering skills gap.

Knowledge sharing is vital to proliferate best practice and advanced learning, particularly in developing parts of the world that are growing their standing on the international engineering stage. At Boulting, one of our health and safety advisors runs a course for competent engineers that grants them a Boulting certification in best workplace safety practice.

This is something that these individuals can use to gain further employment on higher profile projects, supporting local employment and the regional economy. According to Odi.org, sub-Saharan Africa’s manufacturing sector has grown over the last decade, seeing increased production, employment, trade and foreign direct investment (FDI).

Much of this FDI is from developed countries, such as the UK and America, which see the potential in the African market. In regions like this, being able to prove that they can work to UK standards will help engineers find more work. Something that both benefits the region and the international manufacturing sector.

So, as you can see, finding local engineers can be a massive benefit to your international projects as well as building an engineering presence you can rely on, where ever you are in the world.

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Sheffield City Council approves mixed-use proposal from Mace

Plans for a mixed-use residential and student accommodation development in the centre of Sheffield have been approved by the city’s council, Mace has confirmed.

The proposed development, which is intended to revitalize a once thriving region of Sheffield’s industrial past, received official approval from the Planning Committee in mid-August. Mace will attempt to bring the iconic Grade II Listed cementation furnace to the fore by making it the focal point of the Hoyle Street development.

According to Mace, the residential element will include 247 new homes – from studio apartments to one- and two-bedroom flats – surrounding a landscaped courtyard. Elsewhere on-site, 658 student beds – comprising studio apartments, cluster flats and townhouses – will be provided, again with private, dedicated open space.

The entire development has been designed by Jefferson Sheard Architects, while CBRE has advised Mace during the planning process. The Hoyle Street site is close to the University of Sheffield’s main campus, in walking distance of the city centre and has the amenities of Kelham Island on its doorstep.

“Sheffield’s industrial heritage is a key part of its history, and the iconic cementation furnace on this site is a fantastic example of how important it is to preserve that legacy,” said David Grover, Chief Operating Officer for Development at Mace. “I’m pleased that the council has recognised the potential of this scheme, and the importance of bringing forward much-needed high quality homes and modern, attractive student accommodation for Sheffield City Centre.”

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300,000 new homes a year: an achievable goal?

With the Government pushing to address the housing crisis, we speak to Steve Mansour, CEO of CRL, about the problem. Possible solutions include changing the building process itself, but would a shake-up of production help make 300,000 homes a year an achievable goal?

Make the homebuilding process more about building homes

Getting tangled up in red tape is every small and medium sized builder and developer’s nightmare. Overly complex policies, unnecessary processes, outdated legacy systems and piles of local government paperwork all cause long, costly delays. This bureaucracy repeatedly threatens to pull focus from the job at hand – building homes and meeting the challenge of our national housing crisis.

CRL recently surveyed SME builders and developers to gain insight into the challenges and opportunities they face. The results clearly show the feelings and grievances experienced by those who are building the homes of tomorrow, today. One strong theme that emerged is the belief that there is inadequate support from those who set regulatory and legal stipulations and requirements. 53% of those surveyed described the Government as either ‘unsupportive’ or ‘very unsupportive’. Just 2% thought legislators were ‘very supportive’ of the industry. There’s an inbuilt irony here – a radical disjuncture between the support expressed by policymakers for the building trade, and the level of practical help that they deliver.

Current legal frameworks are outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Government policy unfairly favours larger homebuilders over small to medium developers. Some of the steps that could be taken to correct this are simple. The Government ought to minimise form-filling to allow contractors to focus on quality builds and workmanship. The Government’s recent White Paper ‘Fixing Our Broken Housing Market’ states that “the fundamentals of the Building Regulations system remain sound and important steps were taken in the last Parliament to rationalise housing standards.” Yet, there is still much progress to be made.

In her foreword to the White Paper, Prime Minister Theresa May promises the Government will be “giving councils and developers the tools they need to build more swiftly” in order to “tackle unnecessary delays”. If this sentiment was translated into practical action, our industry would gain great momentum. Instead, one developer working on a project to construct just over 100 homes was faced with 40 different demands from the council that had to be met before the development could progress.

These included: obtaining approval for roadworks; seeking permission to move any foliage that birds might use for nesting; erecting pre-approved fences around five silver birch trees; reporting on colours and other details of door, window and garage lintels; submitting detailed drawings showing proposed brick types and design of windows, garage and house doors; taking steps to protect hedgehogs; protecting slow worms by filing an ecologist report; and building ten bat boxes and 22 bird boxes.

I don’t want to trivialise the importance of some of these measures, but others seem overly onerous. What’s even more worrying is that this example is from three years ago and yet 39% of those we recently surveyed said they thought the Government’s support had decreased over the years, with 32% claiming that it had stayed the same. In addition, the Government has proposed reducing the time that builders have to work on projects that have gained planning permission to just two years, before permission is removed. Ministers have also proposed that developers which fail to construct homes quickly enough could have their land confiscated by local authorities.

In response, builders were keen to point out that there was a substantial difference between outline permission – where land for housing is approved by planners, and detailed permission – which is required for the builder to actually begin work. If the two-year deadline for work commencement was counted from the time outline permission was granted, many projects would be undeliverable.

We believe it’s vital to cut as much red tape as possible, without delay. This doesn’t mean cutting corners in terms of building quality, health and safety or building regulations. We are certainly not advocating buildings that are less structurally sound. Instead, we are simply calling for a reduction in the complexity involved in inspection and certification, to streamline the process. This will be of particular help to SME builders who don’t have the resources to deal with overly burdensome bureaucratic requirements.

It’s important to unshackle the construction industry. From the vantage point of a structural insurer, it’s straightforward: developers must be able to quickly and easily receive quotes, enjoy simple flat rate fees through easy payment methods, have reliable inspections with surveyors who cause minimal disruption and ultimately get their final certificates on time. In short, removing all the administrative headaches normally associated with the process, leaving these SMEs to focus on the job in hand.

There is one clear and optimistic note, though. Those surveyed remain confident about 2018, with 65% saying they are planning to build more homes than they did last year. Can the industry meet the Government’s target of building 300,000 homes a year? The answer is an emphatic ‘yes’, but only when the barriers to building are removed, and red tape is purposefully pared back. We’re doing everything we can; it’s time for the Government to do the same.

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Highways England issues statement in response to Morandi Bridge collapse

Highways England has issued a response to the tragic collapse of the Morandi Bridge in the Italian city of Genoa.

On Tuesday 14 August a 200 metre section of the Morandi Bridge fell 45 metres killing 39 people. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has since declared a 12-month state of emergency across the Liguria region, as Italy attempts to take stock of the situation and an extensive investigation gets underway.

In response Highways England has issued a statement addressing both the tragedy and possibility of a similar collapse occurring on British soil. “Our deepest sympathies are with everyone involved in the tragic bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy,” said Mike Wilson, Highways England’s Chief Highways Engineer.

“We can reassure drivers that safety is and always will be our top priority. We have detailed design standards and quality control processes to ensure bridges are designed and constructed to provide safe and comfortable journeys for road users. This is supported by a thorough and regular regime for inspecting all structures, including bridges, on England’s motorways and major “A” roads and taking any necessary action to help ensure they stay safe.

“A very small proportion of our structures are suspension or cable stayed bridges but none of them are of similar construction to the one in Genoa. We’re committed to continually improving our network to make every journey the safest it can be. So when the causes of the Genoa bridge collapse have been investigated and reported, we will carefully assess any lessons to be learnt and will bring in any required changes to standards and processes.”

Morandi Bridge was designed by its namesake, Riccardo Morandi, who oversaw construction in 1967. It was thought that the suspension bridge would withstand 100 years of use, though restructuring work is said to have taken place in 2016. Major repairs were also made during the 1990s. Whether these structural interventions played a part in the bridge’s collapse remains to be seen however.

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Considerate Constructors Scheme shines a ‘spotlight’ on the next generation

The Considerate Constructors Scheme has launched its ‘Spotlight on… the next generation‘ campaign to address the industry’s chronic inability to attract a future workforce.

The campaign was established in response to a survey of UK and Irish contractors conducted by the Considerate Constructors Scheme. While 85% of survey respondents said they would recommend a career in construction to young people, 84% felt that the outdated perception of construction as manual labour was the reason it remains an unpopular vocation.

The survey itself gathered responses from some 800 construction professionals. Key findings included:

• 77% view the skills shortage as the single biggest issue currently facing the construction industry.
• 72% cite the challenging nature of their work as the central benefit to a construction career.
• 53% know young people who are, or could potentially be, interested in a construction career.

When asked what the industry could be doing to attract the next generation:

• 37% suggested changing perceptions and promoting benefits.
• 26% mentioned engaging with schools and colleges.
• 15% recommended apprenticeships and training.

And so, ‘Spotlight on… the next generation’ has been launched by the Considerate Constructors Scheme to raise awareness for the wide array of resources, organisations, case studies, key information and guidance available to help the industry attract its future workforce.

The campaign contains a variety of practical case studies covering what organisations have done to attract more young people into the industry. Included are contributions from such organisations as: Balfour Beatty, Class of Your Own, Engie, Hobson and Porter, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Mace, McLaughlin & Harvey and Wates.

Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive Edward Hardy said: “The shortage of new entrants in to the workforce is one of the most pressing issues facing the construction industry. With over 400,000 new recruits needed each year to deliver construction projects, we must all take steps to attract the next generation.

“While we do have a great industry, one that is working hard to improve its image – as evidenced by the fact that 85% of those within the industry would recommend a career in construction – we need to do so much more to continually improve our standards in order to drive the perception change much needed to make the industry more attractive.”

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The Rural Housing Crisis: the problem and solutions

The need for housing is critical across the UK. Government and building officials agree that more housing needs to be built, and more quickly. The Government is trying to address the crisis through various schemes, intending to create an extra million homes by 2020. Yet Britain is proud of its countryside and green belt, and there are concerns that this could be lost in the drive to create properties. UKCO spoke to Crispin Truman, Chief Executive at the Campaign to Protect Rural England. about the problem and possible solutions which will protect our green spaces whilst housing our families.

In 1926, the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s (CPRE) first Honorary Secretary, Patrick Abercrombie, wrote that “it should be possible that a just balance be struck between conservation and development”. Good development, Abercrombie believed, could “bring forth something new but beautiful” in our villages and market towns and preserve the life of the countryside. And his vision of diverse and thriving rural communities is still ours today.

CPRE wants to see a countryside where land is used sustainably, in the public interest. Where new developments are integrated with good transport links that help to prevent loneliness and isolation. Where properly funded public services address the needs of school children, key workers, the elderly and those who are vulnerable. Where open, green space is recognised for its intrinsic value and contribution to health and wellbeing. Where development meets the needs of communities and no one is forced to leave their local area because they cannot find an affordable place to live.

We have been presented with a false trade-off between building homes and protecting the natural character and beauty of the countryside, when in fact we should seek to do both. To properly address the needs of rural communities, we do need more homes in rural areas, but they must be the kind of homes that people want and can afford to live in.

Housing is at the heart of our members’ concerns – ordinary people who care about their environment and community, and have no desire to see the countryside become a museum.

Affordable homes can help secure the future of our rural communities. Just a handful of new properties can make the difference between a primary school forced to close and one which goes on welcoming new pupils; a village shop shuttered up and one which continues to serve customers; a pub converted into holiday cottages and one which remains a hub for the local community.

Yet, across much of rural England, communities are being quietly eroded by an acute lack of low-cost rented homes. An analysis by the National Housing Federation last year found that 52 rural schools in England had closed since 2011, along with 81 rural post offices and over 1,300 pubs.

As rural housing practitioners have long highlighted, there are a number of key barriers to the delivery of affordable homes in rural areas. These include inflated land values, difficulties finding appropriate sites, the abandonment of a specific rural target for grant funding, and the Government’s decision to define ‘affordable rent’ as up to 80% of market rates, a level which is simply not affordable for many low-paid rural workers.

These are the real barriers. Not the democratic planning process, nor green belt protection. As the Local Government Association recently highlighted, councils and their communities granted nearly twice as many planning permissions as the number of new homes that were completed in the financial year 2016/17, approving more than 321,000 new homes of which only 183,000 were built.

If we want to deliver more homes more quickly, we must also stop conflating builders, who build the homes that people need to live in, with speculative developers whose only object is to profit from rising land prices. The Government should work to support builders, and be prepared to hold developers accountable.

But perhaps the most fundamental problem is that the realities of rural life are not well understood, in Westminster or by the general public. Too often, the housing crisis is portrayed as an exclusively urban issue. Rural poverty remains largely unacknowledged, even though low wages and high living costs mean there are pockets of real deprivation in the countryside. The fact that a single person on a median rural wage can expect to spend 46% of their income on rent gets lost in the focus on cities.

We need stronger measures to reconnect rural rents and incomes, encourage land to come forward more cheaply, and promote better rural-proofing of policy. In an age of declining faith in government, developers and the planning system to deliver the right homes in the right places, it is vital that communities are empowered to push for the kind of development they want and need.

CPRE believes that it is possible to build the homes that people need and preserve the green spaces they benefit from. We must protect the countryside and enhance it, by promoting the right kind of development in the places where it is needed most. Only by pursuing both these aims will we ensure that our villages and market towns remain vibrant and thriving places for future generations to live and work in.

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