• Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • ABOUT US
  • WORK FOR US
  • HSEQ
  • NEWS
Tel: 02380 675888 | Email: [email protected]
Broadsword Group
  • PROJECTS
  • RESIDENTIAL
  • SCREEDING
  • INTERIOR FIT OUT
  • FIRE PROTECTION
  • OTHER SERVICES
    • DRY LINING
    • SUSPENDED CEILINGS
    • SOLID PARTITIONING
    • RENDERING
    • SECONDARY FRAMING SYSTEM
    • ACOUSTIC SOLUTIONS
    • GLAZED PARTITIONING
    • PLASTERING
    • FIRESTOPPING AND AIR SEALING
    • SECOND FIX CARPENTRY
    • ALL FLOOR COVERINGS
    • RAISED ACCESS FLOORING
  • CASE STUDIES
    • BOW SQUARE
    • OAKLEY HALL
    • PORTSEBURY SEN SCHOOL
    • THE BROOK CLUB
    • SPLASHPOINT LEISURE CENTRE
    • FOREST EDUCATION CENTRE
    • SANDPIPER WALK
    • BISHOPS OTTER CAMPUS
    • HINCHLEY WOOD SCHOOL
    • CEMAST
    • SCHOLARS GRANGE
    • SILVER SANDS COURT
    • BROADSWORD HEAD OFFICE
    • CONFIDENTIAL DATA CENTRE
    • BULMERSHE SCHOOL
  • GET IN TOUCH
  • Menu
uk construction

“Brexit fatigue” sees surveyors report construction output grow

July 31, 2019/0 Comments/in Home Page news feed, News /by joannevickers

The industry is getting on with life as its patience with Brexit related indecision wears thin according to the latest RICS Construction and Infrastructure Market Survey.

Quarter two results show output growth accelerating and workload and employment expectations gathering pace for the year ahead.

The quarter saw 16% more surveyors reporting an increase in construction workloads, up from a +9% net balance in Q1.

RICS Senior Economist, Jeffrey Matsu, said: “Three years on and the long, unrelenting shadow of Brexit uncertainty is testing the mettle of the construction industry.

“After a prolonged period of delays and underinvestment, businesses now appear to be fed up and are proceeding cautiously with new hiring and intentions to invest.

“While much of this is likely to be backfilling or maintaining existing capacity, the requirements of larger projects such as Hinkley Point C and HS2 are constraining growth opportunities elsewhere.

“With the range of possible outcomes related to Brexit as wide as ever, we expect to see continued volatility in the construction output data but in the meanwhile foresee workload activity stabilising.”

Following a dip in Q1, workloads in the infrastructure sector improved in Q2 and there was also modest growth in commercial and public non-housing activity.

Looking to the year ahead, workloads are expected to be most resilient in the private housing and infrastructure sectors with 27% and 25% more surveyors, respectively, anticipating activity to rise rather than fall.

The RICS market confidence indicator – a composite measure of workload, employment and profit margin expectations over the coming twelve months – rebounded to 21% (from 13% in Q1).

Investments related to equipment, software and worker training are expected to gather pace as well.

Source: Construction Enquirer

https://broadsword-group.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/UK-construction-1030x433.jpg 433 1030 joannevickers https://broadswordgrp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/broadsword-logo.png joannevickers2019-07-31 13:30:412019-09-09 13:43:32“Brexit fatigue” sees surveyors report construction output grow
house funding

Theresa May calls for tougher design rules to prevent ‘tiny homes’

July 5, 2019/0 Comments/in Home Page news feed, News /by joannevickers

Theresa May has called for mandatory design standards for new houses, saying the number of “tiny homes” with little storage on the market is indefensible.

The prime minister said the lack of universal, enforceable rules on the amount of internal space is encouraging a “race to the bottom” among builders.

If all councils made those rules a pre-condition of planning, it would end the “postcode lottery”, she argued.

MPs, meanwhile, say residents should be compensated for design flaws.

The cross-party Commons Public Accounts Committee said there needed to be a clear definition of what was acceptable in terms of the quality of new housing.

In a new report, it said it was particularly concerned about offices and commercial buildings being converted into residential properties.

The government is reviewing its policy of allowing the conversion of offices into homes without planning permission.

What are the rules?

Guidelines specifying minimum bedroom size, floor areas for storage and floor to ceiling heights for new builds in England have been in place for several years and were last updated in 2016.

But the Nationally Described Space Standards are not compulsory, and are only applicable if councils adopt them as part of their local housing plan.

What does the PM want?

In a speech to the Chartered Institute of Housing in Manchester, Mrs May said there are different standards in different areas.

While the government remained committed to a massive expansion in house building over the next decade, hoping to reach a target of 300,000 new homes a year by the mid 2020s, she said this cannot come at the expense of quality.

“I cannot defend a system in which owners and tenants are forced to accept tiny homes with inadequate storage,” she said.

“Where developers feel the need to fill show homes with deceptively small furniture. And where the lack of universal standards encourages a race to the bottom.”

The government wants to see design requirements incorporated into the planning process for the first time.

But MPs have expressed concerns that too many councils’ housing plans are out of date and some town halls do not have a blueprint at all due to its cost and complexity.

The Public Accounts Committee said ministers were reluctant to intervene and use their powers to develop a plan centrally because of concerns over localism.

Why is housing such a key issue?

The Local Government Association, which represents more than 300 councils in England and Wales, said there needed to be more leadership from government on the issue so councils, developers and home buyers knew where they stood.

“High-quality homes for affordable and social rent are desperately needed across the country now,” said Martin Tett, the organisation’s housing spokesman.

“These standards should future-proof all new homes ensuring they are accessible for all ages and all markets, meet the housing needs of our ageing population and are environmentally sustainable.”

Shelter said it applauded efforts to improve the quality of new homes but the reality was that most first-time buyers could simply not afford to get on the housing ladder.

It said ministers’ efforts should be focused on removing disincentives in the market to build social housing.

“What this country needs – and what it wants – is a commitment from the top, from any prime minister, to a renewal of social housing,” said its chief executive Polly Neate.

Source: BBC.co.uk

https://broadsword-group.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/House-Funding-1030x433.jpg 433 1030 joannevickers https://broadswordgrp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/broadsword-logo.png joannevickers2019-07-05 10:47:092019-07-16 11:03:59Theresa May calls for tougher design rules to prevent 'tiny homes'

Recent Posts

  • Construction site fire safety regulations: Who’s responsible?
  • Construction sites: fire safety
  • Screed: What is it?
  • Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems (EIFS)
  • Types of commercial fire alarm systems

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • June 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016

    Categories

    • Accreditation
    • Charity Events
    • Commercial
    • Fire Protection
    • Home Page news feed
    • Interiors Fit Outs
    • News
    • Other
    • Projects
    • Residential
    • Screeding
    • Vacancies

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    02380 675888
    [email protected]
    SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS
    • risk assessment fire safetyConstruction site fire safety regulations: Who’s responsible?April 18, 2022 - 2:55 pm

      Rules and regulations should always be followed, especially with regards to fire safety. If a law has been broken or regulations not followed, then it can mean the difference between life and death. Despite the growth in performance that the industry has had over the last decade, the risk of injury, death and ill health […]

      READ MORE
    • hazardous materialsConstruction sites: fire safetyMarch 18, 2022 - 3:52 pm

      Every year, a large number of fire incidents occur on construction sites and in buildings undergoing refurbishments. These incidents can cause many injuries or in severe cases, death. Some of these incidents can be entirely preventable. Therefore, it is extremely important that all legislation is being followed. This article will discuss steps that can be […]

      READ MORE

    © Broadsword Group Ltd 2017 – website by Zap Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Sitemap |

    accreditation logos
    Scroll to top