Poor quality or unattractive housing developments will be more easily changed by councils under new rules that form part of the revised National Planning Policy Framework, the government has claimed.
Publishing the revised framework, following a public consultation earlier this year, the government said it would:
- promote high quality design of new homes and places
- offer stronger protection for the environment
- allow the construction of the right number of homes in the right places
- focus on greater responsibility and accountability for housing delivery from councils and developers.
The revision of the National Planning Policy Framework is part of the government’s ambition to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid 2020s and incorporates 85 proposals set out in the housing white paper and the Budget.
Under the revised framework, councils will have the power to refuse permission for development that does not prioritise design quality and does not complement its surroundings.
It will also encourage councils to make use of new visual tools to promote better design and quality and will set a strategic direction for driving up new build quality, although it will remain up to councils to apply these policies in the most appropriate way in their area.
There will be a greater importance on air quality, as the framework has also been updated to provide further protection for biodiversity, aligning the planning system more closely with the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) 25-year Environment Plan, which offers more protection for habitats and places greater importance on air quality when deciding development proposals.
The framework also sets out a new way for councils to calculate the housing need for their local community, with the aim of delivering more homes where they are most needed, and from November 2018 councils will have a Housing Delivery Test, focused on driving up the number of homes delivered in an area, rather than how many are planned for.
Communities secretary James Brokenshire said: “Fundamental to building the homes our country needs is ensuring that our planning system is fit for the future. To maximise the use of land we are promoting more effective use of the land available and giving councils more confidence to refuse applications that don’t provide enough homes”
“This revised planning framework sets out our vision of a planning system that delivers the homes we need. I am clear that quantity must never compromise the quality of what is built, and this is reflected in the new rules.”
The framework also sets out a new way for councils to calculate the housing need of their local community, including different forms of housing, such as older people’s retirement homes. According to Brokenshire the new methodology aims to deliver more homes in the places where they are most needed, based on factors including the affordability of existing homes for people on lower and medium incomes.
The government said councils would be required to take a Housing Delivery Test from November this year, “designed to drive up the numbers of homes actually delivered in their area, rather than how many are planned for”.
The government repeated its goal to building 300,000 new homes a year “by the mid-2020s”.
The new rules will see 85 of the proposals set out in the most recent Budget and in the housing white paper – published in February 2017 – implemented in the new framework.
Responding to the latest document the British Property Federation said the NPPF “rightly embraces multi-tenure housing delivery, higher quality design of new homes and the benefits of the build-to-rent sector, [but] the nation’s town centres and the industrial and logistics sectors still require more support from planning policy”.
BPF director of real estate policy Ian Fletcher said the planning system for town centres was still too inflexible and outdated. “The way people use town centres is changing, and in turn town centres must be able to respond more quickly and innovatively to this.
“Leadership needs to come from local authorities and the starting point is a supportive planning policy. Local authorities should be given the resource to regularly monitor retail trends and adapt town centre planning policies accordingly.”
And Mark Sitch, senior partner at design consultancy Barton Willmore, said he was disappointed to see that the industry’s “substantial feedback” had not found its way into the final framework.
“There are however no big surprises and no real changes. The focus remains on housing. Overall, there is less, not more, for those looking to deliver employment floorspace. This may be a critical oversight as we all move towards a post-Brexit economy.”
But Paul Smith, managing director of planning consultancy the Strategic Land Group, said that while none of the NPPF policies were “game changing in themselves, they represent an evolution of the original NPPF which has, in reality, worked quite well. The number of homes granted planning permission has almost doubled since it was introduced.”
Source: Construction Manager Magazine / Building.co.uk
Broadsword take on Tough Mudder for charity
/in Charity Events, News5 members of the Broadsword team are taking part in Tough Mudder this weekend to raise money for the Southampton Foster Carers Association.
The association offers activities and social events for fostering families and the children in their care. It gives additional help to foster carers with monthly support groups in two regions of the city. The SFCA also provides newly approved foster carers with ‘buddies’ – putting them in contact with experienced carers who can offer advice and support when needed.
They organise annual events including fun days, barbecues, discos, day trips, a Halloween party and a Christmas grotto.
Tough Mudder is a 10 mile mud and obstacle course designed to test physical strength, stamina, and mental grit!
With no podiums, winners, or clocks to race against, it’s not about how fast you can cross the finish line, it’s about whether you make it across the line at all!!
I’m sure you’ll agree that this is an amazing charity and we’d like your help to raise as much money as possible and support the guys taking part in this tough challenge!
It couldn’t be easier to make a donation online via just giving! You can choose to support a particular individual or the team as a whole using the following link:
www.justgiving.com/companyteams/broadsword
All donations would be gratefully received for this fantastic cause!
Remember to keep an eye on our Facebook page on Saturday for updates on everyone’s progress!
Construction standards shocking, according to Dame Judith Hackitt
/in Home Page news feed, NewsDame Judith Hackitt has said she was “truly shocked” by standards in the construction industry when researching her report, Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, published earlier ths year.
She also warned that another “catastrophic event” cannot be ruled out if regulatory changes aren’t made.
Hackitt was speaking at IOSH 2018, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s annual international conference. She told delegates that she encountered construction companies trying to do things as cheaply as possible rather than worrying about quality when she embarked on her review after last year’s Grenfell Tower disaster.
She added that it was vital a culture change was implemented as soon as possible while Grenfell was still fresh in people’s minds.
Hackitt said: “When I looked from the outside into standards in the built environment, what I encountered was truly shocking. The system for fire safety in high-rise and complex buildings was weak and ineffective.
“People actually said things like ‘we always knew something like this would happen’. They knew the system wasn’t working but didn’t know how to fix it. There was a race to the bottom. Companies were looking to do things as cheap as possible, getting around the rules. It was about cost, not quality.
“Unless we fix the system, we have no way of guaranteeing that there won’t be another catastrophic event.
“We need to get to a point where people those who construct a building are as responsible for those who use it over the next ten or 20 years as they are employee safety. What we are calling for is collaboration and joined-up thinking across the built environment sector, not self-interested groups protecting their own turf, something I have seen a lot of.”
Hackitt said some industry groups and the government are already looking at how to implement some of the measures recommended in her final report, including bringing together bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, local authority building control and fire and rescue authorities and having the same risk-based approach as there is across other industries.
But there also needed to be stronger powers of enforcement, to provide more deterrent to cost-cutting, she added.
“Right now, the level of penalties when people are caught out is not strong enough,” she said. “There is no deterrent.
“We also need a system where people can raise concerns in the knowledge they will be acted on. The same goes for within industry, for example we don’t want people thinking they don’t know who to tell if there are concerns.”
Source: Construction Manager Magazine
Commercial building was the best performing area of construction output in August
/in Home Page news feed, NewsCommercial building was the best performing area of construction output in August 2018, followed closely by residential work.
However, the latest expansion of housing activity was the weakest since March, and civil engineering workload decreased for the first time in five months. A number of survey respondents cited a lack of new work on infrastructure projects.
Overall, August data pointed to a renewed slowdown in output growth across the UK construction sector but positive signs included an increase in new business and employment growth maintaining the recent peak level seen in July.
At 52.9 in August, the seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) eased from July’s 14-month high of 55.8, but remained above the crucial 50.0 no-change mark. The latest reading signalled a moderate overall rise in construction output, with the rate of expansion the weakest since May.
Anecdotal evidence cited resilient client demand and supportive economic conditions, but there were also reports that Brexit-related uncertainty continued to hold back investment spending. Higher overall workloads encouraged additional staff recruitment across the construction sector in August. Survey respondents noted tight labour market conditions and shortages of suitably skilled candidates to fill vacancies.
Purchasing activity increased for the eleventh consecutive month in August, although the latest upturn was the weakest since March. Low stock and labour shortages among suppliers continued to impact on delivery times for construction products and materials. The latest deterioration in supplier performance was the greatest seen for almost three-and-a-half years. Despite stretched supply chains and rising energy-related costs, latest data indicated that input price inflation edged down to its lowest since July 2016.
UK construction companies are optimistic that business activity will expand over the coming 12 months, but the degree of confidence eased to its weakest since May. Survey respondents cited confidence about achieving organic growth through new project wins and geographical diversification, while Brexit uncertainty remained the main factor cited as holding back sentiment.
“Civil engineering was the worst performing area of the construction sector, with output in this category falling for the first time since March amid reports citing a lack of new work on infrastructure projects. House building saw a particularly sharp slowdown since July, meaning that commercial construction was the fastest growing sub-sector in August.
“There are some encouraging takeaways from the latest survey, especially the resilient degree of new business growth in August and a strong upturn in staff recruitment. Survey respondents noted that they are confident about achieving organic growth at their businesses in the coming 12 months. The degree of optimism reported in August remained constrained by external factors, including domestic political uncertainty, stretched supply chains and shortages of suitably skilled labour.”
Duncan Brock, group director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: “Cracks in the construction sector’s masonry were beginning to show again this month, and the house building sub-sector was hit the hardest as it reported the poorest performance since March this year.
“Civil engineering saw a drop off in larger infrastructure projects and found itself in contraction territory. Levels of new work held moderately steady overall, but with any significant growth held back by Brexit uncertainty. It was also the logjams in supply routes that hampered work in hand where material and skills shortages meant vendor performance deteriorated to its worst level since March 2015.
“If there is anything positive to note from this month, it would be that the rate of hiring remained strong. However, persistent pressures from skills shortages and slow rates of new orders will continue to hit business optimism still trailing below the survey’s average.
“The sector is hovering too close for comfort to the no change mark, which makes it a contender for more disappointment next month. Though the path to Brexit is paved with good intentions, without significant progress the sector will soon be building castles in the air rather than on solid ground.”
Source: The Construction Index
Summer high for construction
/in Home Page news feed, NewsUK Construction is riding high through summer, with the latest IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) indicating the fastest rise in construction output since May 2017.
With robust and accelerating rises in construction activity during July, the industry is riding a successful summer. House building has expanded at its sharpest pace since December 2015, underpinning the sector.
The latest survey also indicated that new business growth gained momentum, which contributed to the largest rise in employment numbers since December 2015.
The latest survey results put the Index at 55.8, a sharp rise on 53.1 in June. Purchase Mangers responding to the survey noted improved demand and a higher volumes of new starts, together with some degree of catch-up work from the terrible spring weather.
Continuing the trend seen this year, house building and residential work remains the best performing sector. Activity in July shows the strongest upturn since December 2015. Commercial work, which has been lagging since 2015 also showed a strong pick-up in pace.
July 2018 has given the construction sector its strongest increase in total new orders for over a year, with survey respondents noting a general improvement in client demand had led to successful contract negotiations on larger scale projects.
However, construction companies are cautious about the year ahead business outlook, with the degree of positive sentiment about future workloads unchanged since June and remaining weaker than the long-term survey average. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Brexit-related uncertainty continued to hold back business optimism in July.
Supply chain pressures continued in July, which contributed to another sharp lengthening of delivery times for construction products and materials. However, input cost inflation moderated from the nine-month high seen in June.
Civil engineering activity increased only moderately, with companies noting a lack of work to replace completed projects (particularly railway infrastructure work).
Tim Moore, Associate Director at IHS Markit and author of the IHS Markit/CIPS Construction PMI®, commented: “July data reveal an impressive turnaround in the performance of the UK construction sector, with output growth the strongest for just over one year. While the recent rebound in construction work has been flattered by its recovery from a low base earlier in 2018, there are also signs that underlying demand conditions have picked up this summer. New business volumes expanded at the strongest rate since May 2017, while workforce numbers increased to the greatest extent for just over two and-a-half years.
“House building was the bright spot for construction growth in July, alongside a stronger upturn in commercial development projects. Residential activity and commercial work both increased at the sharpest pace since December 2015, which contrasted with another subdued month for civil engineering.
“UK construction companies experienced substantial cost pressures in July, driven by rising fuel bills and higher prices for steel-intensive items. Meanwhile, supply chains struggled to keep up with greater demand for construction products and materials, which resulted in the greatest lengthening of delivery times since July 2017.”
Source: UK Construction Media
Flammable cladding is a breach of human rights
/in Home Page news feed, NewsThe use of flammable cladding on Grenfell Tower and other high-rise residential blocks constitutes a breach of the residents’ human rights, according to the Equality & Human Rights Commission, and thus exposes public authorities to prosecution under the Human Rights Act 1998.
The Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to the Department for Housing, Communities & Local Government (DHCLG) outlining its concerns about the continued use of combustible cladding in existing buildings and advising the department of its responsibilities under human rights laws to protect lives.
The EHRC is supported by the British Safety Council in its challenge to the government over its failure to protect lives
In a briefing paper on the subject, the EHRC says: “A key issue in the Grenfell inquiry will be whether the building regulations banned the use of polyethylene-based cladding in high-rise residential blocks, due to the risk of fire associated with it. If the building regulations did ban its use, questions will be asked about the adequacy of the systems for monitoring and supervising compliance with those regulations, including in council buildings, to ensure that cladding was installed safely. Both scenarios raise questions about whether the UK has met its duty to protect life. Additional issues arise concerning fire safety regulations, including the installation of fire sprinklers in high-rise buildings.”
The EHRC has expressed its concern that the consultation on the use of external cladding omits any reference to the government’s duty to protect lives under article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and schedule 1 to the Human Rights Act 1998.
British Safety Council chairman Lawrence Waterman said: “The British Safety Council has participated in the consultation, calling for much tighter building controls, clearer guidance and effective enforcement. The EHRC intervention takes a wider view and supports our long-held and consistent argument that health and safety is a crucial underpinning of the human right to life.”
The EHRC explains: “The right to life is one of the fundamental guarantees in international human rights law. In many respects it is a prerequisite to, and closely linked with, the enjoyment of all other rights. The right to life is protected under international and European human rights treaties, including Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The UK government has signed up to these treaties and has to abide by them at all times.
“Article 2 of the ECHR is particularly important in the UK as it has been incorporated into domestic law by the Human Rights Act 1998. This means that all UK governments and public bodies – central, local and devolved – including all public officials, have to take appropriate measures to safeguard life by making laws to protect people and, in some circumstances, by taking active steps to protect people if their lives are at risk. If they don’t do this, they can be taken to court.”
Solicitor Anjon Mallik, construction partner at Gordons law firm, commented: “The Human Rights Commission’s intervention that the use of flammable cladding on Grenfell Tower and other high rise buildings is a breach of human rights is an issue that the Grenfell Inquiry will not be able to ignore. If it turns out that the use of polyethelene based cladding in high rise cladding had actually been banned by building regulations but its continued use had not been properly monitored, the public will rightly expect those in authority to be held to account. And, unless and until those responsible face the severest consequences, the clamour for heads to roll will continue.”
Source: construction index.co.uk
The 7 best eco friendly materials for building
/in NewsWith the inevitability of declining fossil fuels, and the threat of global climate change, reducing our energy consumption is an essential survival strategy.
Choosing to build green saves energy. The low embodied energy of green products ensures that very little energy went into their manufacture and production, with a direct reduction in carbon emissions. Eco friendly design methodology can further reduce energy consumption by minimising energy inputs for heating, cooling and light, and incorporating energy efficient appliances. Saving energy for the occupant also saves money – an issue that will become increasingly important as the cost of fossil fuels inevitably rises in the near future.
The most eco friendly construction materials for a home are as follows:
Recycled Steel
Utilises steel already in existence for structural use in a home. The reclaimed steel from 6 junk cars provides enough recycled steel to build a 2000 square for home. Recycling saves 75% of the energy costs. Steel is the most recycled material in the world and recycled steel is used in the manufacture of all new steel.
Bamboo
Bamboo is increasing in popularity as a building material. Bamboo is very sustainable since it grows quickly. While trees such as pine and cedar can be reforested, growing them can take years. Bamboo can be reforested much more promptly and grows throughout the world. Bamboo, like true wood, is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures. Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete and a tensile strength that rivals steel.
Sheep’s Wool
Sheep’s wool, of course, can also be regrown quickly. After shearing, sheep inherently produce a new crop. Clothing manufacturers have long-known the insulating properties of wool, which make very cozy sweaters and socks. The same insulating features can make sheep’s wool an energy-efficient insulator in walls, ceilings and attics. Sheep Wool Insulation is totally natural, environmentally friendly, and quick and easy to install. Wool insulation and other eco-friendly products appeal to the growing numbers of home owners and buyers looking for green buildings with an excellent energy rating.
Straw Bales
Straw bales also have fantastic insulating properties. Straw bales are placed in walls, attics and ceilings to contribute to cooler temperatures in the summer and warmer temperatures in the winter. Straw can be harvested and re-planted easily with minimal environmental impact. The making of straw into bales also has a very low influence. Research has shown that straw-bale construction is a sustainable method for building, from the standpoint of both materials and energy needed for heating and cooling.
Precast Concrete
Concrete is a natural material that can be recycled, making it an appropriate choice for eco-friendly homes. Pre-cast concrete is eco-friendlier than concrete poured on site. It is poured into pre-made molds over rebar or wire, then cured. Once the concrete has hardened, it can be shipped and placed into multiple structures. As a result, precast concrete achieves economies of scale that concrete which is poured on-site cannot.
Reclaimed or Recycled Wood
Reclaimed or recycled wood has much less of an environmental impact than harvesting new timber. Since many homes and other structures have used wood for several years, it’s relatively easy to reclaim those structures for new home building. Wood can be used in the construction of a home — reclaimed and recycled wood can also be used to make unique floors or exposed beams with an antique look.
Earth
Many cultures throughout the centuries have used earth for building. Homes built of earth are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. While earth homes are frequently produced in China and parts of South America, they are far less prevalent in the United Kingdom.
Plant-Based Polyurethane Rigid Foam
Rigid foam is often used as insulation material in building. It’s made from kelp, hemp and bamboo. Because it is rigid — and relatively immovable — it can be used in insulation. It offers protection against mold and pests, as well as sound insulation and heat resistance.
There are many good reasons why we should use eco-friendly construction methods and materials. It can improve the health of our planet, and the health of our own lives. It also supports local business and helps strengthen the local economy, which in turn helps to build our communities into vibrant, prosperous and desirable places to live
Source: motherearthnews.com / Tata Steel Europe / Sheep Wool Insulation / Wikipedia /
Construction growth to rebound to 2.3% next year
/in Home Page news feed, NewsUK construction output is expected to bounce back to 2.3% growth in 2019 after dipping by 0.6% this year.
The growth hiatus this year ends the five-year run enjoyed by the industry, fed mainly by private sector home building and strong commercial and industrial activity.
While forecast 2019 and 2020 growth will boost civils contractors and trade contractors working for house builders, commercial building contractors are expected to continue to feel the squeeze in both commercial and retail work opportunities.
The latest forecast from economists at the Construction Products Association, revises 2018 output down from stagnation to contraction, due mainly to bad weather and the fall-out from Carillion.
Forecasters predict growth will bounce back in 2019 and then expand by 1.9% in 2020.
Strong house building activity outside London will drive up activity in this sector by 5% in 2018 and 2% in 2019.
Infrastructure will also become a primary driver of growth for the whole industry, with output forecast to hit a historic high of £23.6bn by 2020, driven by large projects such as HS2 and Hinkley Point C.
Without the forecast growth in infrastructure and private housing activity, total construction output would fall by 3% in 2018 and remain flat in 2019.
The demise of Carillion resulted in a poor performance for the industry at the start of the year, which combined with the bad weather, lost UK construction £1bn of work.
It is estimated 60% of this work may be recovered, but Carillion’s collapse will cause further delays at two major hospitals as work on the £335m Royal Liverpool University and Birmingham’s £350m Midland Metropolitan hospitals is on hold until at least 2019.
Brexit uncertainty continues to drive the sharpest decline for construction in the commercial sector, particularly felt in the offices sub-sector which is expected to fall 20% in 2018 and a further 10% in 2019.
Meanwhile, the shift to online shopping is causing woes for the high street, with new retail construction expected to fall by 10% this year.
Noble Francis, Economics Director at the Construction Products Association said: “Overall, it’s mixed fortunes for contractors at the moment.
“On the positive side, house builders are keen on accelerating building rates outside of London and that is expected to be enough to offset sharp falls in house building in the capital.
“Firms working on major infrastructure projects also have a lot of work in the pipeline. Infrastructure output is forecast to rise by 3% in 2018 and 13% in 2019.
“This growth is highly dependent on large projects such as HS2 and Hinkley Point C. As ever, there remain concerns about government’s ability to deliver infrastructure projects without the cost overruns and delays that we have seen on Crossrail and HS2 recently.
“On the negative side, the elephant in the room is clearly Brexit uncertainty, which has had a big effect on international investment, especially where it is high up-front investment for a long-term rate of return, which is now highly uncertain.
“It badly affects demand in sectors such as prime residential in London, commercial offices towers and industrial factories, which is dependent on manufacturing.”
CPA summer 2018 forecast
Source: Construction Enquirer
New rules on housing developments from the National Planning Policy Framework
/in Home Page news feed, NewsPoor quality or unattractive housing developments will be more easily changed by councils under new rules that form part of the revised National Planning Policy Framework, the government has claimed.
Publishing the revised framework, following a public consultation earlier this year, the government said it would:
The revision of the National Planning Policy Framework is part of the government’s ambition to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid 2020s and incorporates 85 proposals set out in the housing white paper and the Budget.
Under the revised framework, councils will have the power to refuse permission for development that does not prioritise design quality and does not complement its surroundings.
It will also encourage councils to make use of new visual tools to promote better design and quality and will set a strategic direction for driving up new build quality, although it will remain up to councils to apply these policies in the most appropriate way in their area.
There will be a greater importance on air quality, as the framework has also been updated to provide further protection for biodiversity, aligning the planning system more closely with the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) 25-year Environment Plan, which offers more protection for habitats and places greater importance on air quality when deciding development proposals.
The framework also sets out a new way for councils to calculate the housing need for their local community, with the aim of delivering more homes where they are most needed, and from November 2018 councils will have a Housing Delivery Test, focused on driving up the number of homes delivered in an area, rather than how many are planned for.
Communities secretary James Brokenshire said: “Fundamental to building the homes our country needs is ensuring that our planning system is fit for the future. To maximise the use of land we are promoting more effective use of the land available and giving councils more confidence to refuse applications that don’t provide enough homes”
“This revised planning framework sets out our vision of a planning system that delivers the homes we need. I am clear that quantity must never compromise the quality of what is built, and this is reflected in the new rules.”
The framework also sets out a new way for councils to calculate the housing need of their local community, including different forms of housing, such as older people’s retirement homes. According to Brokenshire the new methodology aims to deliver more homes in the places where they are most needed, based on factors including the affordability of existing homes for people on lower and medium incomes.
The government said councils would be required to take a Housing Delivery Test from November this year, “designed to drive up the numbers of homes actually delivered in their area, rather than how many are planned for”.
The government repeated its goal to building 300,000 new homes a year “by the mid-2020s”.
The new rules will see 85 of the proposals set out in the most recent Budget and in the housing white paper – published in February 2017 – implemented in the new framework.
Responding to the latest document the British Property Federation said the NPPF “rightly embraces multi-tenure housing delivery, higher quality design of new homes and the benefits of the build-to-rent sector, [but] the nation’s town centres and the industrial and logistics sectors still require more support from planning policy”.
BPF director of real estate policy Ian Fletcher said the planning system for town centres was still too inflexible and outdated. “The way people use town centres is changing, and in turn town centres must be able to respond more quickly and innovatively to this.
“Leadership needs to come from local authorities and the starting point is a supportive planning policy. Local authorities should be given the resource to regularly monitor retail trends and adapt town centre planning policies accordingly.”
And Mark Sitch, senior partner at design consultancy Barton Willmore, said he was disappointed to see that the industry’s “substantial feedback” had not found its way into the final framework.
“There are however no big surprises and no real changes. The focus remains on housing. Overall, there is less, not more, for those looking to deliver employment floorspace. This may be a critical oversight as we all move towards a post-Brexit economy.”
But Paul Smith, managing director of planning consultancy the Strategic Land Group, said that while none of the NPPF policies were “game changing in themselves, they represent an evolution of the original NPPF which has, in reality, worked quite well. The number of homes granted planning permission has almost doubled since it was introduced.”
Source: Construction Manager Magazine / Building.co.uk
New alliance formed to improve facade fire-testing
/in Home Page news feed, NewsA new international alliance aims to improve the facade fire-testing market in the UK, by increasing both the capacity and quality of large-scale fire testing of cladding and building systems.
The US-based global safety science business UL, which has nine sites across the UK, and the UK Fire Protection Association (FPA) have announced that they will be working together after signing a cooperation agreement aimed at transforming the testing and certification of facades and building envelope products within the UK itself.
Currently, the only UK-based facilities capable of testing facades for fire resistance are booked up for at least the next six months, driving many building product manufacturers to seek testing and accreditation outside of the UK.
The UL / FPA alliance will include an investment by UL in the FPA’s existing fire test and research facilities, enhancing the capability and broadening the scope of testing available to developers, social landlords, specifiers and manufacturers.
UL plans to offer product testing and certification from within the facilities’ test lab.
Significant changes are expected to the current British Standard (BS 8414) cladding test following a detailed critique of that standard by the FPA’s testing and research team earlier this year, commissioned by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). UL will test and certify to this updated standard.
Chris Hasbrook, vice president and general manager of UL’s building and life safety technologies division, said: “UL is committed to increasing the facade fire testing capacity in the UK as well as the quality of those tests, an area of weakness highlighted by the independent review led by Dame Judith Hackitt. We will ensure we play our part in rebuilding public confidence in a robust, reliable and real-life testing regime.”
Jonathan O’Neill, managing director of the Fire Protection Association, said: “Teaming up with the world class team at UL offers FPA an unrivalled opportunity. UL’s mission and expertise perfectly complements our own, and its global presence ensures our customers gain barrier-free access to world markets.
“The Hackitt Review confirmed problems in the UK fire testing market. This new venture aims to deliver the level of quality, expertise and experience required.”
James Dalton, director of policy at the ABI added: “The ABI commissioned the FPA earlier this year to review the current cladding testing regime of BS 8414, and it was found seriously lacking in five areas. This testing regime is not fit for purpose, so we welcome this partnership to improve fire safety testing and certification. We need multiple lines of defence to ensure the safety of all buildings in the future, not just high-rise blocks.”
In addition to testing and certification of building systems to UK, EU and USA requirements, UL will be able to offer building envelope inspection services and additional forensic services for building owners concerned about cladding, insulation and other materials.
Welcoming the partnership announcement, Jonathan O’Neill, Managing Director of the Fire Protection Association, said:
“The Hackitt Review confirmed problems in the UK fire testing market. Teaming up with the world class team at UL offers FPA an unrivalled opportunity to provide a market leading solution to cladding testing. UL’s mission and expertise perfectly complements the FPA’s, and its global presence ensures customers gain barrier-free access to world markets.”
Source: Construction Manager Magazine / thefpa.co.uk
Construction buyers have reported strong rise in construction activity
/in Home Page news feed, NewsConstruction buyers have reported the strongest rise in construction activity since November 2017.
The latest IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index for June registered 53.1 in June – up from 52.5 in April.
The rise represents the sharpest increase in overall construction output since last November.
New orders also rose at their fastest pace since May 2017.
Residential and commercial work were the main drives as civil engineering continued to plod along.
Tim Moore, Associate Directorat IHSMarkit and author of the IHSMarkit/CIPS Construction PMI said: “The latest increase in UK construction output marks three months of sustained recovery from the snow-related disruption seen back in March.
“A solid contribution from house building helped to drive up overall construction activity in June, while a lack of new work to replace completed civil engineering projects continued to hold back growth.
“Of the three main categories of construction work, commercial building was sandwiched in the middle of the performance table during June.
“Survey respondents suggested that improved opportunities for industrial and distribution work were the main bright spots, which helpedto offset some of the slowdown in retail and office development.
“Stretched supply chains and stronger input buying resulted in longer delivery times for construction materials during June.
“At the same time, higher transportation costs and rising prices for steel-related inputs led to the fastest increase in cost burdens across the construction sector since September 2017.”
Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: “With the fastest rise in new orders since May 2017, it appears the brakes are off for the construction sector.
“Despite being hampered by economic uncertainty, firms reported an improved pipeline of work as clients committed to projects and hesitancy was swept away.”
Source: Construction Enquirer