Clarity Around Sustainable Materials Needed

In a bid to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of their structures, particularly large commercial buildings, property developers and specifiers are constantly reviewing the materials they use. However, with little information to go on, it is difficult to make like-for-like comparisons. Simon Cox, head of sustainability at Prologis, the UK’s leading developer and owner of industrial logistics buildings, discusses why clarity is urgently needed to assist the industry in achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

With sustainability climbing the corporate agenda, many businesses are actively looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. In the construction sector, the focus has been reducing operational carbon emissions by ensuring that new commercial buildings are well insulated, have plenty of daylight and are fitted with cutting-edge, energy-efficient lighting, heating, and ventilating systems. However, with at least 11 percent of global carbon emissions coming from building and construction materials, tackling levels of ‘embodied carbon’ is just as important as ensuring a new building is energy efficient.

The Government’s recent Energy White Paper has reconfirmed its commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, there is no mention of the embodied carbon emissions that are generated by the production, supply, and application of carbon-intensive materials, such as concrete and steel work. Despite the lack of steer from policymakers, an industry-led movement is underway, which is aiming to raise understanding of the importance of reducing and mitigating carbon emissions.

Programmes like BREEAM provide a useful and widely understood set of standards for the environmental performance of new buildings. However, developers aiming to construct net zero properties, realise that they need to do more. In order to move closer to their net zero goal, greater collaboration across the supply chain is needed to share knowledge and experience.

By openly sharing their own experiences of net zero logistics property development, companies such as Prologis aim to encourage other organisations in the construction sector to consider their own long-term sustainability strategies for carbon reduction. Having recently published a white paper on net zero logistics property development, the company is also calling for the industry-wide adoption of the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework. This framework defines the carbon reduction challenge for the wider construction industry, while setting out a path to net zero that is clear and easy to follow.

By working with specialists with access to detailed knowledge of the carbon content of building materials, specifiers and developers are able to make more environmentally conscious choices. When working closely with the developer and the design team, specifiers have a key part to play in reducing embodied carbon and enhancing the building’s operational efficiency. For example, shallow pitch, large radius curved roofs can help reduce the ridge height of new warehouse buildings, whilst maximising the useable internal volume. With careful design, the embodied carbon of the structure can also be reduced through the use of steel roof cladding, rather than a more typical, and expensive aluminium ‘standing seam’ solution.

Before creating net zero carbon buildings, specifiers first need to understand the boundaries of their assessment and their wider sustainability strategy. While their goal may be to use the latest in certification and scientific metrics to reduce operational and embodied carbon emissions, the end user’s requirements must also be prioritised. From mechanical-handling equipment to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, every decision will have an effect on the site’s whole-life carbon footprint.

As well as considering the environmental impact of each building material used, specifiers should consider whether it is possible to recycle them after use. It may come as a surprise, but low-cost materials can sometimes be the most sustainable. Equally, those with less embodied carbon may lack longevity and need replacing more frequently. Despite making up over 50% of an industrial building’s carbon footprint, embodied carbon cannot be eliminated altogether. Developers should therefore consider ways to mitigate or offset these emissions. For example, by working with charities such as Cool Earth who are actively protecting the rainforest and supporting the communities that live there.

As the UK moves closer to its net zero by 2050 goal, specifiers have an important role to play in helping to reduce embodied carbon in the built environment, but they can’t do it in isolation. Specifiers, developers and industry bodies must work together to share best practice and support the take up of initiatives such as the UKGBC’s Framework. They should also share what they have learned about sustainable building materials and their supply chains. Greater collaboration will support the evolution of a standardised approach on the way to a more sustainable future

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Work Underway on £3.7m Coventry School

G F Tomlinson, the Midlands based contractor, is progressing with the multimillion-pound expansion work at Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Coventry.

Working in partnership with Coventry City Council, the project involves constructing a new dining hall and refurbishing the existing buildings for optimised teaching spaces, which will allow for an additional 200 places at the school, in line with the Government’s drive to provide extra student spaces in Coventry.

Procured via Pagabo’s National Framework for Medium Work, this is the first scheme that G F Tomlinson has been awarded from this framework in its allocated region, which covers projects with a value of £1 million – £5 million in the West Midlands.

Due for completion in summer 2021, the scheme involves the recently completed refurbishment of the DaVinci Building – including science rooms fitted with new laboratory furniture, a technology room, storage rooms and the relocation of the IT technician’s office to an adjacent space.

The main scope of works, which is the construction of a new 400-student capacity dining hall, includes a new, fully fitted catering kitchen and toilet facilities, as well as a mezzanine upper floor to be used by the school’s sixth form students, accessed via an internal floating staircase or accessible lift.

Andy Sewards, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson, said: “This will be the first project to be completed under Pagabo’s National Framework for Medium Works, and we are delighted to be partnering with this framework partner and Coventry City Council, to deliver the expansion works and essential refurbishment for the school, to cater to the government’s vision of providing extra student spaces in the city.

“This is a very high-quality design and build, and once complete it will bring upgraded facilities to the school, allowing optimised teaching spaces and the space for a considerable increase of student places. We look forward to handing over the project ahead of the new school year in 2021.”

Emma Hesbrook, Regional Relationship Manager at Pagabo, added: “It’s fantastic to see work progressing well for G F Tomlinson on what is their first appointment through our Medium Works Framework. Despite the obvious challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, G F Tomlinson has continued to operate in a safe and secure manner, ensuring the school’s extension is ready for its summer 2021 opening.”

G F Tomlinson is delivering the project alongside SHA Architects, ABA Consulting as civil & structural engineers and Bennett Williams as building services consultants.

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Stepnell Secures Major Framework Wins

Stepnell has recently secured spots on two new construction frameworks, the Public Sector Construction Works Framework, managed by NHS Shared Business Services (NHSSBS) and the Procure Partnership Framework.

The Frameworks both offer Stepnell the opportunity to win work across the UK and will help to boost its ever-growing portfolio of public services projects.

Stepnell has been appointed to the Public Services Construction Works East Midlands, West Midlands, South West and South East Framework regions for public sector and healthcare projects in two lots – worth up to £2.5 million and £5 million. It has also been appointed to the Procure Partnerships East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England. South East and South West Frameworks for the £1 million to £4 million and £4 million and £12 million lots.

Richard Wakeford, Director at Stepnell, said: “This really is an exciting time for Stepnell. It’s been a difficult year for the industry as a whole, so to end 2020 in such a strong position is not something we take for granted.

“By joining these frameworks and expanding our portfolio of public sector work, we’re not only positioning ourselves as a leading contractor in the construction sector, but we’re also helping the UK to get back on its feet by pushing forward with important regeneration and development projects – many of which will be expanding on facilities for the NHS, which has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.”

The Public Sector Construction Works Framework will tender work for the NHS with the aim to enhance the quality of its services throughout the country. The framework can also be accessed by all public sector organisations, including local authorities, educational institutions and housing associations. Direct awards are also available under the Public Sector Construction Works Framework, with the option of mini-tender. Stepnell entered its official period of agreement on 17 December 2020, gaining the opportunity to win work that will range from new build schemes to the renovation of existing public sector facilities.

Mr Wakeford continued: “We’re incredibly happy to join both of these frameworks and expand our remit even further into these regions. The team is looking forward to getting stuck into a new selection of projects and expanding our client base with both frameworks. We have already been lucky enough to have been awarded work through the Procure Partnerships Framework, and we look forward to this continuing on both frameworks over the next two years.”

Stepnell has recently won two public sector renovation projects on the Procure Partnerships Framework, which will both start on site this year.

The £2.5m renovation of Northampton General Hospital is one of these schemes and includes the refurbishment and replacement of critical mechanical systems within the hospital. Stepnell has also succeeded in winning a project at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading – a £1.5 million refurbishment of its pathology service facilities and general office space in the Harborne building.

Faye Dolan, National Framework Manager at Procure Partnerships Framework, said: “We are proud to have Stepnell on board as one of our contracting partners as they have extensive experience within the public sector. We look forward to developing our relationship even further with Stepnell over the years to come.”

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Bidding Launches for Strategic Partnerships

Homes England has updated its strategic partnership model and is opening it up to a wider range or partners.

Strategic partnerships are an exciting approach to help increase the delivery of affordable housing. Instead of applying for funding on a scheme-by-scheme basis, strategic partners enter into a multi-year grant agreement with Homes England to deliver affordable housing. This then allows partners to benefit from the certainty of the grant for the duration of the partnership, as well as gaining access to Homes England’s wider expertise, insight, and influence.

Since launching the first strategic partnerships in 2018, 23 partnerships have been signed with 27 housing associations, delivering around £1.8 billion grant investments and more than 40,000 additional affordable homes.

Strategic partnerships play a pivotal role in Homes England’s mission to use everything at its disposal to intervene in the market to make homes happen.

Homes England is looking for ambitious, successful organisation which share its aims and values to become strategic partners.

Who can be a strategic partner?

For 2021, Homes England is offering our strategic partnerships to a broader range of organisations than ever before, including not for profit registered providers, for-profit providers and developers, and local authorities.

Homes England is utilising its expertise and influence to support its strategic partners as much as possible, but in return asks that partners can demonstrate a significant commitment to Homes England’s broader aims, from increasing the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to promoting great design.

The benefits of becoming a strategic partner

The certainty and flexibility of grant funding is just one element of a strategic partnership – it is the collaborative, working relationship with Homes England that really sets it apart.

Its first cohort of strategic partners said that working with Homes England in this way has allowed them to do things that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible – for example:

• unlocking difficult sites for development
• attracting finance and investment
• accelerating delivery of much needed homes.

Strategic partners will benefit from a broad range of support from across Homes England. That means providing advice for accessing other funding from Homes England, brokering relationships across the sector, co-developing delivery plans and so much more.

Strategic partners will also have access to technical expertise in delivery, land, infrastructure and investment to address local capacity and capability challenges.

To ensure that strategic partners get as much out of the relationship as possible, each of the partners will have a dedicated Key Account Manager (KAM), a senior colleague from Homes England who will act as a conduit to the rest of the agency’s resources.

How to become a strategic partner

Homes England expects to launch a competitive bidding round for proposals to access Affordable Homes grant funding through the strategic partnership route in March 2021. It anticipates that the window for submitting proposals will be around 6 weeks, although this may be subject to change.

Timescales will be published in due course.

You can read the guidance for updated timescales and to understand more about how to apply for affordable housing grant funding in a strategic partnership.

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Homes Boost as Sites in Harrogate Acquired

Homes England, the UK Government’s housing agency, has acquired two development sites in Harrogate, unlocking more than 800 new family homes.

Both sites will have provision for 40% affordable housing, which is much needed to help demand in the area. The developments will also offer an opportunity to bring forward housing in an area with high affordability pressures and will help to meet local housing needs.

In Ripon, a 23 ha site named West Lane has outline planning consent for 390 new homes, including 156 affordable homes. It was allocated in the adopted Local Plan in March 2020.

The 28 ha Bluecoat Park site in Harrogate is also allocated in the Local Plan. It currently has outline planning permission for 450 new homes but this is due to expire this month and Homes England intends to submit a new planning application later this year.

Both sites have stalled for various reasons, including the associated enabling costs and planning permissions which are set to lapse imminently. The Government’s intervention will see these issues resolved and the delivery of homes which would not have come forward otherwise.

The acquisitions also highlight Homes England’s commitment to the area, following the planning submissions in September for the redevelopment of Ripon Barracks for up to 1,300 homes as well as local infrastructure including a primary school, sports pitches, a dedicated employment zone and local retail facilities.

Homes England will continue to work in partnership with the local authority as well as other local stakeholders on its plans for both sites over the coming months.

Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP said: “This is fantastic news for Harrogate and a realisation of this Government’s mission to deliver quality, affordable homes, that are fit for future generations.

“I look forward to seeing the plans these communities develop take shape over the coming months.”

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Could Optimising Stockholding be Key for Businesses

Paul McFadyen is Managing Director of metals4U. In this latest feature he looks at how optimising stockholding could be key for businesses in light of Brexit and examines different stockholding methods for businesses looking for new options.

Businesses in a wide range of industries rely on stock procurement to thrive, and issues with supply lines will always have a hugely detrimental impact on profits. Ultimately, companies cannot consistently sell their own goods if they’re struggling to procure the products and materials needed to manufacture them.

In this respect, 2021 will hold challenges for many businesses. As the UK has officially left the European Union with a deal, the potential crisis of a no-deal Brexit has been avoided. However, the deal does not permit free movement of goods in the same manner that the UK experienced whilst still a member of the EU, and this will likely cause delays at borders, which may impact supply chains.

Similarly, the border crisis over Christmas and New Year showcased how fragile the status quo can be, as governments across the world close borders in response to new Covid developments. When France closed its border for just a few days, a huge backlog of cargo vehicles found themselves stuck on either side of the channel.

Faced with these issues, ensuring that stockholding and procurement are fully optimised will be more important than ever for businesses, and could mean the difference between thriving and struggling in the years ahead.

So, what options do businesses have to strengthen their stockholding power? There are different models of stock procurement and they all have their own pros and cons. Many will suit some businesses more than others.

For smaller companies who need fast access to materials, but lack the assets to purchase in bulk, consignment stock may be a good option. This entails storing supplier-owned materials in the purchasing company’s own premises and at its own expense. The purchasing company can then pay for the stock as and when they need it, with the convenience of having quick and easy access to it, rather than needing to rely on potentially unpredictable supply chains to match their demand.

At the other end of the scale, larger companies may solve the issue by advance ordering products in bulk. The advantage of this is that they can ensure they have the required amount of stock stored ready for use and can over-order to account for potential supply chain issues in the future. It’s also comforting to suppliers as they can be confident in the financial security of a large advance order.

However, no strategy is flawless and individual businesses need to analyse their requirements, as well as their own resources, before committing to a particular method. Factors such as cash flow, warehouse space, insurance and staff, will all have an impact on whether a particular strategy is suitable for a company.

Businesses with limited warehouse space and without the budget for the necessary insurance will not benefit from strategies which require large amounts of materials to be stored on their premises, such as the two aforementioned methods. They would likely benefit more from an on-demand ordering system, where orders are placed to meet demand and resupply stock levels as they diminish.

Similarly, businesses that rely on a tight production schedule and need immediate access to stock may find themselves in jeopardy if they encounter supply chain issues, so are more likely to benefit from holding stock on site.

For all of these strategies, warehouse space will be a key consideration. Companies who already have or can afford to purchase or rent storage will be able to enjoy the benefits of storing large quantities of goods onsite without it denting their overall budget too much.

It’s also important to remember that the costs of storing goods in a warehouse do not begin and end with the costs of the property itself. Businesses will need to consider additional expenses, such as staff wages, security and insurance, before committing to storing large quantities of goods and materials onsite. Furthermore, for companies opting for consignment stock, it’s important to remember that much of the produce stored in the premises will not be owned by the company itself, so loss or damage caused to these goods will also have to be paid for.

It’s clear that over the coming months and years, many companies will experience teething problems and challenges as the UK’s new relationship with the EU becomes familiar, or as it changes and adapts. However, companies can ultimately negate any potential issues with thorough planning and troubleshooting of their stock procurement process. Whichever strategy businesses opt for, they should remember to tailor it to the requirements and nature of their business, and this will put them in a strong position to overcome any challenges.

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Steps to Rebuild Construction Recruitment

In this feature, Plymouth Managing Associate, Michelle Essen and Leeds Associate, Sarah Wales and discusses some of the steps needed to rebuild construction recruitment plans for 2021.

The construction industry was quick to adapt and carry on working in 2020, but it continues to struggle with labour levels. And this is a problem that’s not going away any time soon as, due to Brexit and the new immigration system now in place, we are likely to see a reduction in the number of available EU national workers – workers which the industry has traditionally relied upon.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that up until now more than nine per cent of the UK construction industry workforce have been EU nationals, with that rising in London to account for 30 per cent of construction workers.

Many EU nationals have now returned to their home nations to be with family and to cut the cost of living. New immigration rules are set to be extremely challenging with regard to the sector’s recruitment process and migrant worker eligibility in 2021, meaning it is likely to be more difficult to get these workers back to the UK.

The impact is two-fold. An increased labour shortage could affect the ability of companies to deliver projects on time or to take on new work, and it’s likely that the cost of labour will go up, both in terms of wage levels and also taking additional costs of recruitment and training into account.

While it seems the construction sector is frequently calling for additional Government support to bridge the skills gap, there are some practical steps that employers and contractors themselves can take to mitigate the long-term risks.

Brexit-proof your recruitment process

The new UK points-based immigration system kicked in on 1 January 2021 and it’s highly likely that this will reduce the number of lower skilled workers coming to the UK. Increased bureaucracy, and lead times, around the new points-based immigration system will create delays in the short-term. Get your recruitment process Brexit-compatible by understanding and implementing new visa criteria and processes, and be prepared to factor longer recruitment lead times into project planning.

Keep up-to-date on Government guidance

It’s important to keep on top of the latest Government guidance on matters such as health and safety. Encourage consistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and ensure the team feels safe. This will not only encourage productivity and minimise absence due to sickness or injury, but is also likely to have a positive impact on staff retention in a competitive market place.

Reflect on lessons learned during the pandemic

Take time out to understand the lessons learned by the sector during the pandemic. Some construction companies have found that by carefully planning and reorganising their programmes and how some jobs are carried out, and by being more focused on critical path activities, work could still be carried out efficiently and effectively, even with fewer than normal workers on site.

The post-pandemic rise in technology take-up and use has changed the way manual roles are carried out too. For example, some companies are carrying out site inspections with drones, allowing for safer remote-working and more efficient processes. Drones are also being used for 3D modelling, volume measurement and topographical surveys, and are predicted to fulfil an essential role in construction companies of the future, from planning to build. This in itself means a new set of skills is now required for the industry.

Similarly, there has been increase in the use of offsite, modular construction during the pandemic, which again requires a development in design skills and logistics expertise.

Look to youth

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics in October 2019 show there were 334,332 skilled construction and building trade workers aged between 50 and 64 and 44,681 over 65 in the UK – most of whom will typically be expected to retire over the next 15 years.

Meanwhile, the industry is struggling to attract young people. This is not a new problem: in 2018 it was widely reported that construction had, for the first time, dropped out of the top 10 career choices for people aged 22-29. According to YouGov Omnibus research in 2015, only three per cent of young people aged between 18-24 have recently searched for a job in the construction industry.

Construction firms do still have the opportunity to take advantage of Government incentive payments for the hiring of new apprentices, though this scheme only applies to apprentices hired before March 31 2021.

Perhaps, then, it will fall to the construction industry itself to do more to appeal to young people, or the skills shortage might never be fully bridged and critical skills that need to be passed on to a new generation of workers could be lost.

Embrace equality, diversity and inclusion

It is also worth broadening the scope of which parts of society future workers could come from to help improve the number of workers and breadth of skills in the industry.

Women remain under-represented in construction: in Q2 2020, there were 1.9m men in the industry in the UK compared with 289,000 women. Research by Microsoft reveals that in the UK, girls have a five-year window between 11 and 16 when they are really interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) after which their interest drops.

The industry also under-employs BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) groups. Exact levels of BAME employment in construction vary according to different sources, though one report suggested around 7.4 per cent of construction workers identified as BAME.

Figures released by the Government’s Ethnicity Facts and Figures Service in 2020 took a different approach, and analysed the percentage of ethnic groups that work in each industry sector. While 7.7 per cent of surveyed White British people worked in construction, the figures were lower for Asian (3 per cent), Indian (3.8 per cent), Black (4 per cent) and Pakistani & Bangladeshi (2.5 per cent) groups in the UK.

With the UK’s pool of talent more diverse than ever, it is important that companies make a conscious shift towards diversifying their workforce now.

Become UK industry champions

The sector needs to inspire the workforce-of-the-future by engaging with schools, colleges, industry leaders and training bodies to shake up the traditional image of the construction site and wider construction industry. Apart from the digitalisation of the industry, the sector is encouraged to recruit younger generations and minority groups to help fulfil future skills needed.

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Chancellor Should Use New Freedoms to Support Construction

No longer bound by EU state aid rules, Chancellor Rishi Sunak must use the Government’s Brexit freedoms to make fiscal changes that will support property developers and contractors, and promote economic recovery.

With speculation mounting that the Chancellor might be preparing to introduce tax hikes to help pay for the pandemic, tax experts at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP, are concerned that doing so could push SME contractors and developers to the brink of insolvency. Many businesses in the sector have been struggling to stay profitable whilst implementing social distancing rules and managing other Covid-19-related disruption. The sector is also facing a number of fiscal changes this year, including a new VAT reverse charge, which will apply to the supply of construction services to other UK VAT registered businesses from 1st March 2021.

Rather than raising corporate taxes, the Chancellor should be using his first post-Brexit Budget to establish a tax regime that incentivises spending on infrastructure programmes and other capital projects, while helping to position the UK as a place that companies and individuals want to stay, invest and grow.

Lucy Mangan, tax partner at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP, said: “Now is definitely not the time to increase corporate taxes, reduce capital allowances or cut incentives for innovation, as this will do nothing to help property and construction companies to prepare for a post-pandemic bounce back. There will be a time to recoup some of the cost of the pandemic, but promoting economic stability must come first.”

Among the tax reliefs that the Chancellor is now free to change, without EU approval, are R&D tax relief and the Patent Box regime.   R&D tax credits are currently under utilised by businesses in the property and construction sector, but they could be used to encourage new sustainable development and practices, whilst providing welcome tax relief in the current climate.

He could also change current corporate tax loss relief rules to allow losses incurred in the pandemic to be carried back for a longer period, in a similar way to companies being able to reclaim tax in the 2008 recession. Alternatively he could be more creative and, for example, allow loss-making businesses to offset losses against last year’s PAYE liability. Such changes would allow some of the hardest-hit businesses to access a tax refund to support them on the road to recovery.

Lucy Mangan adds: “This Budget is the Chancellor’s first opportunity to assert the UK’s independence from the EU. Enhancing tax reliefs in a way that would target support for hard-hit contractors and property developers could deliver a much-needed economic boost and protect jobs.

“Some parts of the construction sector have been affected by the pandemic more than others. A construction index report by Glenigan has revealed that the value of non-residential projects started by businesses in 2020 fell by 16 percent compared to the previous year, and the greatest decline was in the hotel and leisure sector. Businesses affected by the drop-off in demand for non-residential construction services have seen their revenues and profits plummet. Broadening the scope of capital expenditure that might qualify for this year’s £1 million Annual Investment Allowance to include more structural costs, could help encourage spending .”

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The Crosby Group Invest in Verton

The Crosby Group has completed a significant investment in Verton Technologies (Verton).

Based in Australia, Verton has developed and commercialised disruptive advancements in load orientation technology which remove the need for human held tag lines in lifting applications. These innovations also play a critical in improving the safety and productivity of global lifting operations.

The Crosby Group and Verton will work together in the market to accelerate the adoption of this game-changing technology. By leveraging the Crosby Group’s global footprint, Verton will be able to bring an elevated level of safety to an increasing number of workers.

Robert Desel, CEO of the Crosby Group, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Verton in this rapidly growing space. This investment is a perfect strategic fit due to our common end user base and our shared values of safety, reliability and innovation.”

Verton’s solutions include Everest 6, a 20-ton load orienting spreader beam, Everest 30, a modular load orienting system for a broad range of working load limits, and Windmaster, a load orientation device for wind turbine erection.

Trevor Bourne, CEO for Verton, added: “With this new partnership Verton can dramatically increase the pace of innovation and the penetration of our products in the market. As a global leader with strong brand recognition, The Crosby Group creates an exciting platform for Verton’s future.”

This marks the Crosby Group’s fourth transaction in the past 24 months including the acquisitions of Straightpoint, Gunnebo Industries and Feubo.

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Green Light for Major A303 Transformation

Highways England has welcomed the go-ahead for a major new road upgrade which will transform journeys in the South West of England and boost the regional economy.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has given the formal green light to a plan which will create three miles of high-quality dual carriageway on the A303 in Somerset. The upgrade, between Sparkford and Ilchester, will see the congestion on the road eased.

On an average day, the road carries 23,500 vehicles, but numbers increase significantly in the summer, especially at the weekends, making journeys unreliable and unpredictable.

This announcement comes just two months after the Transport Secretary gave the go-ahead for another congestion-busting scheme further west along the A303 – the project to dual the route between Amesbury and Berwick Down past Stonehenge, creating a tunnel under the World Heritage Site.

Together, these upgrades will unlock economic growth as well as improving journey times and reliability between the M3 and M5, supporting the economy.

Highways England Acting Chief Executive Nick Harris said: “We welcome the Secretary of State’s decision to upgrade the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester.  Along with the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project, it is part of the biggest investment in our road network for a generation.

“This scheme will support economic growth and facilitate a growth in jobs and housing by creating a free-flowing and reliable connection between the south east and south west.

“It will also tackle a long-standing bottleneck, reduce journey times to the south west and improve traffic flows in that area at peak times and during peak seasons.”

Having completed all the necessary surveys, Highways England is now finalising the detailed design with contractors and currently anticipates starting on site in 2021.

Besides the new dual carriageway link the upgrade will include new and replacement slip roads, junctions and road bridges to replace existing junctions and direct access roads.

The new dualled section will start east of Podimore Roundabout, follow the alignment of the existing A303 to Downhead, and then move north of the existing A303 single carriageway, allowing the existing road to be kept for use as a local road in this section.

The route will rise up West Camel Hill before crossing over the existing A303 at the junction with Steart Hill/Howell Hill and meet up with the existing road again between Vale Farm and the Ministry of Defence signal station at Eyewell/Traits Land.

The final section of the route bypasses the existing Hazlegrove Roundabout to the north through the Registered Park and Garden associated with Hazlegrove House, before tying into the existing A303 Sparkford Bypass.

Lee Nathan, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) South West Regional Chairman, said: “Upgrading the single carriageway sections of this important route is key to supporting the south west economy, particularly as the only alternative route via the M4 and M5 into the south west is already heavily congested.

“FSB believes that more investment should be directed to improving key links on the A road network across the UK as a way of supporting our local regional economies.

“As a result, we are wholeheartedly in support of this new scheme.”

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Pandemic Sees Decline in New Home Registrations

Due to the ongoing COIVD-19 pandemic, the National House Building Council (NHBC) has reported that the number of new homes registered to be built in the UK fell by 23% in the UK in 2020.

However, productivity moved close to pre-pandemic levels in the final quarter of 2020 with new home registrations down just 2% on the same period in 2019.

The NHBC registered a total of 123,151 new homes in 2020, compared to 160,319 in 2019 with the largest falls being seen in the second quarter of 2020 when the UK went into its initial lockdown and halted work on sites across the country.

Housebuilding activity rebounded quickly once builders and building sites established COVID secure working practices in the summer, with a total of 39,749 new homes being registered in the final quarter of 2020, 34% up on the third quarter.

The numbers of new home registrations fell in every UK region in 2020, with the South East of England (-28 per cent), Scotland (-28 per cent) and Northern Ireland (-38 per cent) seeing the most significant falls, whilst London was down 21 per cent. The data indicates that many UK cities saw greater falls in new home registrations than their wider regions with, for example, Manchester dropping 42 per cent in 2020 versus 2019, compared with just 27 per cent across the whole of the North West. London and Glasgow were the only major cities to buck this trend.

New home registrations in the private sector fell by 26 per cent to 81,067, with the affordable and build to rent sector seeing a more limited fall of 16 per cent to 42,084, compared to the previous year. This is encouraging, reflecting the continued long-term attractiveness of UK housing as an asset class for inward investment.

Commenting on the 2020 new home registration statistics, NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said: “Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new build housing market has held up very well, with housebuilders showing resilience and adaptability throughout 2020.

“Last Spring saw a sharp shock to the housing market and it is heartening that by the close of 2020, productivity levels had moved very close to those seen in late 2019.

“Confidence in the housing market, particularly for newly-built homes, remains strong with many larger housebuilders forward sold into the summer despite the continued impact of the pandemic and prevailing economic uncertainties.”

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Considerations When Choosing an ERP System

Outlining how they plan to work with construction firms to ensure public sector works are delivered faster, better and greener, the Government’s launch of the Construction Playbook back in December was certainly a defining moment for the industry.

As well as incentivising innovation, the government has encouraged the embedding of digital technology and pledged to introduce longer-term contracting. Finally, this gives businesses the certainty required to invest in new software designed to help improve productivity and generate efficiency savings.

But, when faced with the decision, how do you choose the most appropriate solution for your business? Here, Carol Massay, Head of Construction at the AccessGroup explores some of the key features construction firms ought to look out for when choosing their enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

Continuing to build on the ambitions set out in Construction 2025 and the National Infrastructure Strategy 2020, the Playbook brings together best practice from across the public sector, recognising a need for continuous improvement in building and workplace safety, cost, speed and quality of delivery. As well as urging the sharing of better quality data, it also commits to increased investment in training the future workforce through upskilling and apprenticeships. So what are the key things to look out for?

Cloud-based

While the sector has long been plagued with a so-called ‘digital skills gap’, adoption of cloud-based technology has certainly accelerated in recent years. ERP systems can allow businesses to scale-up, gain better insight into productivity levels, access more data, track spend and ultimately, ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.

Daily backups, security updates and operating system upgrades will significantly drive down overall business costs and vulnerability, as well as eliminating the need for costly hardware and maintenance upgrades.

Improved estimating

During the tendering stage of a new project, estimators will spend considerable time pulling together information on labour, plant, material, subcontractor and overhead cost required to deliver small, medium and large scale projects.

Traditionally, this information might have been collated on a spreadsheet or across various different spreadsheets and systems, only accessible to individual contractors or estimators. Not only can this create problems when it comes to sharing or collating information, it can also hinder the speed at which a project can be costed up and given the green-light.

Specialist software also enables estimate templates to be built, ensuring that any information or key data can be taken from one project and used for a similar client, avoiding unnecessary duplication of work.

To fight shrinking profit margins, estimators have been turning to digital solutions far more in recent years.

Bills of quantities, for example, are now generated electronically and in some cases with the same software the design teams used to create the asset. Where this isn’t possible, estimators can still use software to scan the drawings and produce bills of quantities – eliminating hours spent doing take-offs from the drawings before being able to price up a job.

In-depth analytics

In order to improve profit margins, speed and the quality of project delivery, it’s crucial the entire management team  have access to a wealth of key data to help inform decision making, as well as the ability to drill down into project costs on a per transaction basis.

As projects progress, analytic information stored on the system continues to evolve. The ability to provide an accurate and up-to-date representation of the project – as well as integrating client, supplier, sub-contractor and consultants financial information – will save hours of administrative work.

Increasingly, senior executives, managers and finance teams expect to access key information in real time, so it’s important your system is intuitive and easy to use. The ability to access weekly and monthly reports through a project lifespan will also help identify what is performing well and immediately identify any concerning trends.

Through the application of certain filters, most systems will also allow you to drill down on specific areas, opening up a whole new world of insight.

Capturing costs

With margins increasingly tight, contractors have to ensure that all costs are accounted for, making sure they remain aligned with the original estimate or budget. If costs begin to spiral out of control, the whole project and overall business performance may be jeopardised.

Software can help avoid this, ensuring that all costs associated with the project can be tracked, as well as offering improved visibility to enable more informed decision making. The cost valuation reconciliation (CVR) process, which is regarded as the “universal workspace” of the project ensures any overspend or under recover can be seen and dealt with before the end of the project when it’s too late.

This will become even more important following the introduction of Domestic Reverse Charge, with contractors urged to implement systems and software able to deal with the reverse charge and consider how it might impact cash flow. The EasyBuild CVR process allows project teams to track the monthly cost and monthly revenue, enabling project cash flow forecasting information to be shared with the finance director who is, ultimately, responsible for the financial stability of the company.

For some construction projects, the capturing of cost can be done at traditional levels such as labour, plant, material, subcontractor and overheads. However, there are some specialist projects that require a further level of detail assigned to individual cost transactions such as “activity codes” – also referred to as element or work breakdown structure (WBS).

If your new system doesn’t have the required features it may struggle to keep track of costs or, worse, mean you lose out on a contract if you are unable to provide this level of detail.

Construction businesses can now transform how they operate, and by embedding digital technology and incentivising innovation through the introduction of a specialist ERP system, they can finally provide employees with the right tools, on the right platforms. This investment will lead to an increase in productivity levels, facilitate better communication and help the entire construction cycle run more efficiently and smoothly. Those that understand their needs and requirements, and invest in the right platform for them, certainly won’t regret it.

Carol Massay is Head of Construction at the Access Group.

To find out more about the EasyBuild software, visit the website: https://www.easybuilduk.com

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Environment Agency to carry out Yarm flood defences review

The Environment Agency is carrying out a review of Yarm’s flood defences to ensure the best protection for 500 homes and businesses.

Flood gates in Yarm which reduce the risk of flooding from the River Tees could be renewed as part of the significant review of defences in the town.

The Environment Agency maintains 1.3km of flood wall in the town, which protects over 500 homes and businesses and is intersected with a series of flood gates that allow access to public areas as well as to some individual properties.

It is currently reviewing all the flood defences in the town to ensure they continue to offer the best possible protection for the whole community.

Simon Wilson, Environment Agency Senior Advisor in the Flood and Coastal Risk Management team in the North East, said: “The Environment Agency is carrying out a review of Yarm’s flood defences to ensure local people continue to have the best possible protection from the River Tees.

“We have recently made repairs to some of the flood gates and they continue to function and protect the town, but their condition is deteriorating and we are taking steps now to stop this becoming a problem in the future.

“Those that serve public areas such as footpaths and car parks will be replaced, and we are contacting residents with flood gates on their properties this week to consider whether they should be replaced or removed in favour of a more robust and continuous flood wall.

“We want to find out more about how the gates impact access and how they are operated, with our priority being the safety of all residents in Yarm.”

The Environment Agency is carrying out this project within the current government coronavirus guidelines to ensure the safety of staff and residents.

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SynergyTM: The Future of Sustainable Construction

As the UK construction industry battles through the impacts of Covid-19, looking beyond the current challenges has proven paramount for national contractor Willmott Dixon. After launching its 2030 sustainable development strategy in the midst of a global pandemic, the contractor continues to signify its commitment to sustainable economic recovery.

Francesca Wilkinson, assistant environment manager, explores how Willmott Dixon’s innovative Energy Synergy^TM consultancy offering ensures its projects exceed customer expectations.

In response to the UK government’s legislation to achieve net zero emissions on all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 – corporations and SMEs alike shifted their focus to deliver a more sustainable way of operating. As businesses look to follow in the green footsteps of their industry leaders, national contractor Willmott Dixon has jumped ahead of the curve with the development of its ambitious, sector-leading sustainable strategy.

Long gone are the days where a construction company could simply just pledge to ‘use more sustainable materials’ or ‘optimise premanufactured design’ – the impact of the construction sector is far reaching.

Willmott Dixon’s ‘Now or Never; our decisive decade’ strategy, is built around three key themes: Building Lives, Better Planet and Brilliant Buildings. However, it is the contractor’s innovative service offering within the latter that is already presenting great return on investment for its customers.

Alongside innovative consultancy offerings, the company has also pledged that its new buildings and refurbishment projects will be zero operational carbon in ten years’ time and net zero embodied carbon by 2040. Its supply chain partners will also be net zero operational carbon by 2040, ten years ahead of the UK government’s target.

Energy Synergy^TM – sustainability embedded

Willmott Dixon’s Energy Synergy^TM consultancy service grew out of the contractor’s experience delivering Passivhaus schemes. The contractor’s work as a founding member of the UK’s Passivhaus Trust to deliver schemes such as the George Davis Centre at the University of Leicester, highlighted the requirement for better energy prediction and monitoring in use, to help the contractor and its customers to fully achieve the best building performance benefits.

“With the approval of our Board, we saw this as an opportunity for us to use our expertise and create a competitive advantage for our customers. As energy usage in the built environment contributes c.20% to the UK’s carbon footprint, solving this issue would make a big difference to the overall sustainability target of the UK.”

Collaboration is key; Energy Synergy^TM sees the contractor work closely with its customers from the inception of a project, throughout the build process to completion and beyond – delivering assured building performance based on real-life measures.

The Willmott Dixon team then works with its customers once they have occupied a building, gathering detailed and ongoing performance data. This is then compared to the modelled energy performance over a two-to-three-year period post-completion, allowing the team to truly understand how a building is performing and how it differs from the assumptions made during design.

Francesca added: “Evaluating data regularly ensures that our facilities operate as designed, provide our customers with total transparency around their building’s performance, and deliver cost savings through optimised energy performance – offering that all-important value for money.

“Energy Synergy^TM is a valuable proposition for most customers but is a particularly great offering for those with high energy usage – the service gives specific insight and recommendations to reduce operational budgets. For example, it has already proven valuable in education, higher education and health markets, and where our customers are owner-operators of leisure centres, commercial offices, or hotels.

“Energy Synergy^TM is also an in-house solution to the increased demands of BREEAM through the provision of an operational model of building performance, allowing our customers to achieve the highest ratings of Excellent and Outstanding.”

Endorsing its projects from both a physical construction and an energy performance basis, not only provides a great return for Willmott Dixon’s customers but also helps to forge those all-important long-lasting collaborative relationships. The contractor has found that by boosting its knowledge of its customer base, its teams can fully understand how their projects are actually being used, this in turn can directly be used to improve the design and performance requirements of a building on a fully bespoke level.

Francesca added: “In our experience, customers are usually aware that they have an energy budget problem but feel that there isn’t anything they can do to challenge or resolve it without a large investment of time, resource and finance. Where Energy Synergy^TM differs is that we can fully explore why systems are not working as predicted and put actions in place to resolve the issue. This gives customers visibility and greater certainty over the running costs of a facility within the design stage of projects – it ultimately helps us to actively manage and optimise energy usage, avoiding unnecessary wastage.”

Energy Synergy^TM – in practice

Over the past five years, Willmott Dixon’s Energy Synergy^TM offering has continued to grow both in popularity and scope – now playing a pivotal role in the company’s sustainable future. Despite being optimised on many high-profile projects across the UK spanning several sectors and industries – some of the contractors’ best results with the consultancy service to date can be identified within the University of Warwick Sport and Wellness Hub.

Since its completion, the £37m Hub has played a pivotal role in supporting the university’s ambition of becoming the “most physically active campus community in the UK”, having replaced all former on-campus health and fitness facilities. The University has also committed to achieving net zero carbon across its activities by 2030 for direct emissions and is actively progressing plans to achieve this.

Opening its doors in 2019, this 40,000m2, state-of-the-art facility boasts 15,500m2 of indoor space, including: a multi-functional sports hall; the biggest gym in the higher education sector; a 25m-long, 12-lane swimming pool; 17m-high indoor climbing walls; fitness suites; and squash courts. User comfort and reconfiguration of the space were at the heart of the project and it has benefited from smart climate controls and user customisation technologies. These include coolant technology to provide the right temperature for any given sport and automatically adjusted lighting in key rooms to create the optimal ambience at the touch of a button.

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, director of sport and active communities at the University of Warwick, said: “Here at the university, we are client-led, meaning everything we do needs to support the health and wellbeing of our students, staff and the wider community. Therefore, it was vital that the Sports Hub became more than a standard leisure facility, providing a real positive impact for our community and on our wider sustainability mission.

“Now that the project is complete, we are very proud to be running one of the most sustainable higher education leisure facilities in the UK – the Sports Hub’s success can ultimately be attributed to the strong collaborative relationships that occurred throughout the whole build process. By working collaboratively from the preconstruction stages of the project, through to Willmott Dixon’s post-completion innovative Energy Synergy service, our objectives and aims for the development have been exceeded every step of the way. Willmott Dixon’s specialist energy consultancy has not only given us excellent visibility and certainty over the running costs of the development, but it has also allowed us to address sustainability challenges at every stage and really get the best possible performance out of our state-of-the-art facility.”

As part of the consultancy offering, the contractor continued to work with the university’s sustainability team post project completion and during building occupancy, to ensure the Hub was performing well and meeting its predicted targets. By offering specialist in-house energy efficiency consultants, who accurately estimate the energy consumption of projects during the design process, as well as monitoring during occupancy to suggest improvements, and by just making marginal energy changes at the facility, the firm was able to save the university more than £40,000 and a carbon saving of 98.5 teCO2e within its first year of operation.

Francesca said: “To achieve the university’s ambitious goals for the facility, extensive in-house monitoring was required once the building was opened to identify further energy savings. We embedded our Energy Synergy^TM process into the after-build service -this involved monitoring operational use across 12 categories from heating, ventilation, and pumps, through to domestic hot water.

“Energy SynergyTM has enabled the Sports Hub to become the most energy-efficient leisure centre in the UK, performing 27.5% better than CIBSE’s Energy Benchmark. As a direct result of our development work, the University of Warwick has been able to recruit a full-time internal role to review all of its building performance, by optimising budget that would have previously been spent on energy consumption. This has ultimately helped to support a 46% reduction in its carbon emissions within the past ten years.”

Joel Cardinal, Head of Energy and Sustainability, at the University of Warwick said: Willmott Dixon’s Energy Synergy^TM process is very comprehensive, and has enabled us to substantially reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions from our building stock. We are now targeting, through working more closely with our contractors and consultants, greater knowledge of embodied carbon within our buildings so that more informed decisions can be made at the design stage with the intention of reducing indirect carbon emissions.”

James Breckon, Director of Estates, at the University of Warwick said, “My experience of working with Willmott Dixon to deliver some of our major capital projects has enabled the professional people within both organisations involved to really get to grips with the sustainability agenda and assist greatly in delivering positive results.”

Find out more about how we embed sustainability in everything we do for our customers by reading our Brilliant Buildings publication.

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HS2 seeks contractor to build Washwood Heath train depot and control centre

HS2 is looking for a specialist contractor to build the high speed rail project’s central control centre and maintenance depot, which will create around 500 long-term jobs in Birmingham’s Washwood Heath.

The contract – worth an estimated £275m – will see the winning bidder work with HS2 Ltd to transform the 30 hectare brown field site into the nerve centre of the HS2 network.

From this point, next to the main line into Birmingham Curzon Street, HS2’s fleet of state-of-the-art high-speed trains will be serviced and maintained, 24 hours a day, seven days a week – ready to provide an unparalleled level of frequency and reliability for passengers across the UK.

The depot will include a 40,000 m2 Rolling Stock Maintenance Building, Carriage Wash, Automatic Vehicle Inspection Building and 14 sidings where trains can be stored overnight.

Also on the same site will be the Network Integrated Control Centre, the centre of the network’s state-of-the-art signalling and control systems as well as office buildings for cleaners and drivers.

The Washwood Heath site was formerly home to the disused Metro-Cammell railway works which closed in 2004. A team from HS2’s early works contractor LM, completed the demolition of the buildings on the site last year, ready for the start of construction.

Once operational, Phase One and 2a will have a fleet of at least 54 trains which will be based at Washwood Heath. These 200m long units can be doubled up to create 400m long trains and will serve destinations beyond the HS2 network – like Liverpool, Preston, Carlisle and Glasgow – via a connection to the existing West Coast Main Line at Crewe.

Bidders are expected to be shortlisted for the single-stage design and build contract in the summer with contract award in 2023.

HS2 Ltd’s Commercial Director, David Poole said: “The start of the search for a contractor to build Washwood Heath is a real milestone for the HS2 project and a huge long-term opportunity for the area. With main works civils construction now well underway, we are putting the specialist team in place to support operation of the new railway.

“Washwood Heath will be at the heart of the operation – and around 500 high skilled jobs based at the depot will be a major boost for the community.”

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First UK homes fuelled entirely by hydrogen to be built in Gateshead

The UK’s first homes with household appliances fuelled entirely by hydrogen are set to be built in Low Thornley, Gateshead, providing the public a glimpse into the potential home of the future where no carbon emissions are released.

The 2 semi-detached homes, funded with the help of the UK government’s Hy4Heat Innovation programme, will open in April 2021, showing how hydrogen has the potential to be used as a clean replacement to natural gas in the home.

The hydrogen house project is aligned with a larger scheme detailed in the Prime Minister’s Ten point plan which also includes establishing a Hydrogen Neighbourhood, and to the development of plans for a potential Hydrogen Town before the end of this decade.

The houses will use 100% hydrogen for domestic heating and cooking in appliances including boilers, hobs, cookers and fires.

Unlike natural gas, which is responsible for over 30% of the UK’s carbon emissions, hydrogen produces no carbon at the point of use, with the only by-product being water.

Hydrogen could play a vital role in achieving the government’s commitment of eliminating the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050, with the industry creating up to 8,000 jobs across Britain’s industrial heartlands and beyond by 2030, potentially unlocking up to 100,000 jobs by 2050.

Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “From running a hot bath and cooking our evening meals to turning on the heating, most of us use natural gas every day. However, to tackle climate change, we need to find alternatives to fossil fuels and move towards making clean energy the norm.

“While these new houses in Gateshead will look like any other, they will showcase how low carbon hydrogen can transform the way we power our homes and offer a glimpse of what the future holds as we build back greener.”

The project secured a £250,000 grant from the government’s Hy4Heat Innovation programme and is being run by gas company Northern Gas Networks and Cadent, who have both also input £250,000 of funding each.

The houses are planned to be open to members of the public, who will be able to view appliances and see how they compare to existing ones. Local schools, colleges and universities will also be welcomed to learn about the new technology, as well as potential careers in the emerging green economy and in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

Mark Horsley, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Gas Networks said: “We’re delighted to be working with BEIS and Cadent on this unique demonstration, which gives energy customers a first glimpse at hydrogen technology in the home.

“Just like natural gas, hydrogen can heat homes in exactly the same way, meaning minimal change for customers in terms of how they use gas for heating or cooking.

“The houses bring to life the potential of this green gas for keeping UK homes warm, while minimising impact on the environment.”

Steve Fraser, Chief Executive Officer at Cadent said:”We are proud to be part of this important project where we will be able to show customers what their future gas appliances will look like. A familiar sight to them, with one difference, they will be powered by hydrogen.

“These projects are so important to demonstrate a decarbonised energy solution in homes now.”

The announcement comes ahead of government plans to publish its Hydrogen Strategy later this year, which will outline plans to build a UK hydrogen economy.

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Future Trends in Home Heating and Cooling

Christian Deilmann, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at tado° outlines the measures needed to meet Europe’s and the UK’s climate targets. Heating and cooling in buildings and industry accounts for half of the energy consumption, and governments across Europe and the UK have begun to recognise the scale of this challenge and opportunity through financial incentives and legislation to make homes greener. A rapid acceleration of energy-efficient measures and a comprehensive digital energy transition are required in 2021 and beyond.

Energy efficiency, the Green Deal and Climate Change Act

The European Green Deal and the UK’s Climate Change Act – Europe’s and the UK’s plan to go carbon neutral by 2050 – is calling for the doubling of the number of energy-efficient renovations in homes. This would mean 35m homes being renovated to a higher energy-efficiency standard by 2030 – but this still leaves the vast majority of the 200m+ homes as energy inefficient. One of the key challenges is the high cost of purchasing and retrofitting promoted measures like insulation, heat pumps, and solar panels. We need to make sure that we start with the low-hanging fruit which in this case is smart heating and cooling controls. A smart thermostat typically costs under £200 with a payback of one or two years through the energy saved. No other energy-efficiency measure in homes comes close to the energy efficiency impact, low cost, easy installation, and fast energy-savings return. Smart thermostats are part of various country-specific laws and subsidy programs but more consideration is needed in the huge and impactful European Green Deal and Climate Change Act.

Electrification of heat and grid integration

Heat pumps are already being installed as standard in large parts of new European and UK buildings and homes. This is exactly the right way to go. Heat pumps have the capability to only consume a fraction of primary energy compared to what gas or oil heating systems need. The connectivity of heat pumps and air conditioning systems in combination with intelligent algorithms can result in a paradigm shift. Smarter heating and cooling will revolutionise the way energy is consumed and provide a valuable source of flexibility for regional and national grids. Europe and the UK need a fully integrated, interconnected and digitised energy market. This flexibility provided to the energy grid paves the way for more renewable energy without the need for backup power plants. The consumption will then react to when the sun shines or the wind blows without affecting comfort inside buildings. This means rolling out demand response solutions and agile tariffs.

Remote diagnostics to reduce physical repair visits

Another part of digitisation is reducing repair and maintenance efforts by half. By remotely monitoring the health and performance of heating and cooling systems, energy utilities and repair service providers are able to increase operational efficiency. Rather than wait for a boiler to break down, remote monitoring can inform the user or energy supplier of the issue before it fully materialises. Incidents are minimised and when an engineer does need to do a repair, he/she already knows what the issue is and what parts are required. This reduces the need to visit the home twice – first to identify the issue, second to come back with the right spare parts for the actual repair. Remote diagnostics reduces costs, cuts transport emissions, and minimises unnecessary contact in the current COVID-19 situation.

An open platform which works across any system from any manufacturer

In order to achieve the wide-scale benefits of digitising the heating and cooling sector, a solution which works for all households independent of the brand or type of heating system is the key. tado° has partners who provide tens of millions of customers across Europe and the UK with energy and who also repair millions of heating systems every year. There is naturally a wide variety of heating systems from hundreds of manufacturers across large customer bases. With a cross-manufacturer compatible tado° solution, we tackle exactly this challenge with the goal that our partners have the chance to offer all of their customers the same connectivity solution and a uniform smartphone application. Moreover, this allows their service centres to manage all of their customers’ heating systems in one remote diagnostics tool, and all aggregated systems into one network of demand response load.

At tado° we are convinced that all homes should be heated and cooled intelligently and we are optimistic that politicians will soon give smart climate control the importance it deserves in the implementation of the new European Green Deal and the UK’s Climate Change Act.

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Homes England and UTB launch £250m Housing Accelerator Fund

Homes England, the Government’s housing delivery agency and United Trust Bank (UTB), an established specialist lender, have announced a £250 million fund to support small and medium-sized builders with development finance at up to 70% Loan to Gross Development Value.

The Housing Accelerator Fund will provide construction loans between £1m and £10m. The alliance will improve access to finance offered to smaller builders and drive the continued diversification of the housing market over the coming years. Applications are now being accepted  and prospective borrowers should contact UTB.

Gordon More, Chief Investment Officer, Homes England said: “The Housing Accelerator Fund is open for business from today. In line with Homes England’s commitment to supporting SMEs, it will help smaller builders get on and build now, as well as improve the lending landscape for SMEs by driving competition in the market, improving choice and encouraging innovation. United Trust Bank has consistently supported housebuilders of all sizes and is an experienced and capable lender, we’re pleased to be collaborating with them on this long-term partnership and look forward to seeing the fund support the delivery of new homes across the country.”

Noel Meredith, Executive Director, United Trust Bank said: “SME housebuilders have a vital role to play in delivering the UK’s new housing needs and UTB has amassed considerable experience helping such businesses to complete thousands of successful developments. This is an exciting new partnership with Homes England which will make a real difference to both long established and newly formed development companies requiring competitive funding and the long-term support of a knowledgeable and experienced specialist lender. This alliance will help to reinvigorate and increase diversity in the SME housebuilding sector, and boost housing supply in areas under the greatest affordability pressures.”

Housing Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP said: “It is a top priority for this Government to build the homes this country needs and it is vital for our economic recovery that we support as many as possible within the house-building industry to deliver these homes. “I welcome the announcement of the alliance between Homes England and United Trust Bank – this is win-win. It will not only support our commitment to build more homes, but also give smaller developers easier access to finance.”

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The COVID Effect and the Future of Construction

COVID-19 has forced companies to rapidly adapt to a different way of working. The need to prevent the spread of the virus has caused a huge increase in people working from home, extra measures for cleanliness and hygiene to be added to the daily routine, protocols put in place for social distancing and more.

Michael Knibbs, MD, SafeSite Facilities

The construction industry is no different. It has played a vital role in the crisis, from building hospitals to ensuring buildings are in a fit state to live and work. As an industry where most employees cannot work from home, it has also had to change its working practices to ensure the safety of its workers, as well as the health of the wider population.

Adaptation is key, and the industry has developed many new ways of working to minimise risk and adhere to COVID rules and restrictions.

In this latest feature for UK Construction Online, Michael Knibbs, Managing Director of SafeSite Facilities, writes about the changes he’s seen in construction during the pandemic and those he thinks are here to stay.

Digitisation

We can all agree that COVID-19 has been extremely challenging. However it has created an opportunity to modernise with the use of digital technology.

Remote working and communication has been essential for companies to keep going during the pandemic. As many employees now work from home, meetings have gone online, documents are available on shared servers and equipment has had to be set up in employees’ residences.

Moving the administration of construction projects online allows for digital collaboration, sharing documents and data with stakeholders all over the world. Video calls can replace pre-construction meetings. With less need to travel and a reduction in face-to-face contact, digital platforms minimise risk and keep workers safer. They also save money on travel costs.

Of course, on-site workers can’t work from home, but there are digital solutions to minimise time spent on site. Some safety training, for example, could be completed online and at home. This also means employees can learn at their own pace in their own time.

It’s not just administration which has benefited from digitisation. There are also building systems which could speed up and automate elements of design and construction. The pandemic could also lead to more interest in offsite construction methods to minimise time spent on a busy site.

During the pandemic, public meetings have taken place virtually. Not only does this mean people are able to attend from the safety of their own home, it could also allow people to attend who couldn’t previously, such as those who are less mobile or have young children. This could lead to a better working relationship with the public when discussing new building projects.

Google Maps

Google Maps in satellite mode can be used as a measurement tool for building sites. It’s a useful way of putting together a quick preliminary estimate or finding out other general information without having to be physically present on site.

It can also be used by people who need to see details of live construction projects in their area.

Safer Sites

Cleanliness and safety is front and centre during this pandemic. Many building sites have introduced staggered shifts, temperature checks and top-to-bottom disinfection of the site, tools and machinery. PPE is issued as standard, and regular handwashing and hand sanitising is a vital part of the daily routine.

Improved hygiene is always a benefit. Lowering the risk of spreading viruses or germs hopefully means companies can reduce the cost of employees needing time off for illness.

Social Distancing/Bubbles

Social distancing can be a challenge on a busy site. Groups need to work in bubbles, to protect them from coming into contact with other groups.

Break times have to be staggered, as well as the use of any showers and changing facilities. Car parking facilities need to be available so workers can avoid public transport if they prefer. It’s also important to keep exits and entrances monitored so that unauthorised people cannot enter the site. This is always a benefit in terms of health and safety.

Ultimately, this could end up streamlining the working day. With people coming in and out at different times, there is less chance of a logjam of people or traffic which could hold things up.

Drone Site Inspections

Drone inspections are becoming more common in industries that require visual inspections. Using a drone to inspect a site reduces risk, both of contracting or spreading COVID, and also for inspectors to avoid dangerous situations such as having to climb to inspect work.

Drone inspections also have money-saving benefits. There’s no need to build one-off scaffolding to support an inspection. As drone inspections are relatively low cost, companies can increase their number of inspections and reduce insurance costs.

Changing Project Types

There is currently reduced demand for hospitality, retail and entertainment but more demand for healthcare. Not only this, the pandemic has shown the possibilities of working from home for a huge number of businesses. Going forward, this might lower demand for office space as companies save on costly city centre rental prices.

As we move forward into a post-pandemic world, project types will change. With fewer offices, cities and towns will need to provide infrastructure for people who work from home, which could lead to investment in telecoms and even smart cities.

Indeed the need to stimulate the economy could mean the government pushes for carbon reduction targets to be met. This could mean sustainable buildings and retrofitting existing housing to improve energy efficiency.

Supply Chain

Some building-materials supply chains have also been interrupted, suspending production and distribution. With so many logistical challenges on the horizon, many construction firms may be looking to source locally.

All of these changes created by the pandemic will lead the way for recovery, both of the economy and the construction industry. Companies which embrace new technology and ways of working have the potential to move forward stronger and safer than before.

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Independent review of construction frameworks launched

Professor David Mosey of King’s College London is to lead an independent review into Construction Frameworks as part of the Construction Playbook implementation.

The review will recognise the potential of frameworks as a powerful engine-room for implementing Construction Playbook policies that include strategic planning, integrated teams, continuous improvement and the delivery of better, safer, faster and greener project outcomes.

The Framework Review will lead to recommendations for:

• the components of a ‘gold standard’ against which new proposed frameworks and framework contracts can be measured
• standard contract terms that support the new gold standard
• training packages to enable adoption of the new gold standard

This will enable contracting authorities to easily identify those frameworks which meet best practices and embody the policies set out in the playbook.

The Construction Playbook was launched on 8 December 2020 containing 14 key policy reforms to enable ‘faster, better, greener’ construction by transforming how we assess, procure and deliver public works projects and programmes.

One of these key policy reforms is ‘Effective Contracting’, designed to ensure that contracts are structured to support an exchange of data, collaboration, improve value and manage risk with clear expectations for continuous improvement and consistent with the principles contained within the Construction Playbook.

The Construction Playbook contains a commitment to undertaking a review of current construction frameworks, this is integral to achieving the aims of effective contracting.

Commercial frameworks have been proven to provide a powerful tool for strategic planning, integrated teams, continuous improvement and the delivery of better, safer, faster and greener project outcomes. Across the public and private sectors, there are a wide variety of frameworks and a lack of clear guidance as to their preferred structure and ‘best practice’ features. As a result, the potential of frameworks is not always well expressed or well understood and they are not always successful in delivering their aims.

Recommendations for the adoption and use of the most suitable framework structures and features are necessary in order to provide clear drivers that will deliver the policies set out in the Construction Playbook.

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Time to Start Boxing Clever with MMC in 2021

In this latest feature, Anthony Lymer, business development manager at Protrade, which analyses the pros and cons of MMC in 2021 and why it is time for the sector to, essentially, to start boxing clever.

MMC, otherwise known as Modern Methods of Construction, is a wide term.

It covers a range of offsite manufacturing and on-site techniques that provide alternatives to traditional house building methods.

Off-site construction allows most construction phases to be undertaken simultaneously, all while site preparation, foundations, and utility connections are being prepared. Whole completed units can be built in a factory ready for final assembly and finishing in situ.

There is already a significant level of engagement with MMC across the housing development sector, from existing house builders and housing associations, through to SME’s setting themselves up specifically to exploit opportunities in MMC.

However, construction doesn’t stop at residential properties – other important sectors include educational, social housing, custodial, health, and the hotel industry.

In 2019 alone, millions of pounds worth of investment from both the UK Government and overseas were poured into creating linear processes for cost-efficient, safe, and sustainable manufacture.

With the huge demand for housing seemingly unachievable using traditional methods, MMC is widely recognised as a viable option to alleviate those demands.

So, what are the benefits of MMC?

Designing purpose-built production lines using a linear process has allowed manufacturers to cut costly time from fabrication which, in turn, allows the investment in sales and rent to be realised much quicker.

Many manufacturers already operate two shifts and 24-hour production is a thought that is not too far away from becoming reality now.

Another important factor in construction costs in the UK is our exceptionally adverse weather conditions.

Delays in meeting completion dates and the resulting penalties are almost an accepted part of the process in traditional building and one which offsite manufacturing largely avoids.

Although appearing almost daily in our news feeds, the climate change crisis, renewable energy, and sustainability have held a magnifying glass up to construction for many years now and the pressure for creating energy-efficient, low carbon emission sustainable buildings has never been so focused.

Innovative technology in MMC is making regular advancements in the fight to reduce our ecological footprint. Reducing vehicle movement also minimises disruption to local residents, road congestion, and carbon emissions.

One of the bigger benefits is the controlled factory process, which drives a highly consistent quality finished product with minimal defects.

Buildings are scrutinised to the highest standards prior to delivery and it’s not unusual to drive past a plot one week and find a completed property with a family car in the driveway the next!

Finally, it will also come as no surprise that construction is one of the most dangerous sectors to work within.

HSE reported 30 deaths in the construction industry 2018/19, 49% of which were as a result of falling from height. Safety measures are easier to implement and monitor within a factory setting, as opposed to a large open plan construction site.

What are biggest challenges facing MMC?

Bringing change to the traditional processes of construction is clearly a slow burner but disruptors to the market have already proved that high quality, insurance accredited products can be manufactured to increase the adoption of offsite and pre-manufactured solutions.

It’s also important to ensure a continual raised awareness of the already established benefits of offsite versus traditional.

It’s not what some would deem a ‘fad’. Millions of pounds worth of investment validate that but the message needs to be repeated.

The UK Government has previously issued calls for more builders to embrace the process, which has been supported by numerous factory visits from the former housing minister, Esther McVey, as well as her predecessor, Kit Malthouse.

But supply chains must also improve their systems by adapting to the demands of fast consumed materials. If millions are being spent to create a linear production process, shouldn’t this also apply to lean purchasing habits? Many companies are still purchasing supplies in a traditional manner.

We also have the B-word to consider…

While most people must be fed up with the events in politics over the last three years, it would be wrong to dismiss the possible ramifications of the UK withdrawal from Europe.

With Brexit now in the process of being implemented, the potential for labour/skills shortages may further drive the adoption of MMC, which can benefit greatly from its build flow processes.

So, who are the influencers behind the change?

There are a few.

The Government, housing associations, contractors, architects, trade organisations, and manufacturers are all obvious influencers for disruptive change but there is another to consider.

Public purchasing.

With a social or economic conscience, they too must also be informed of the benefits of this industry.

Such is the high quality of design already out there, it would challenge many passers-by to say for certain whether that building was traditionally or offsite built and if we adhere to the duty of care we have for the future – and in fact, the present – needs, we must embrace the opportunity to change.

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