The Prime Minister has launched a set of planning reforms aimed at tackling the housing shortage and delivering homes for everyone.
The reforms mark a major overhaul to the National Planning Policy, focusing on maximising the use of land, strengthening protections for the Green Belt, and placing a greater emphasis on converting planning permissions into homes.
Theresa May has warned developers who are too slow to build houses that their past record could count against them when they bid for new planning permissions. She wants to rewrite the rules on planning to help developers and local authorities to build more properties to allow more people to own their home.
The government is determined to tackle the housing shortage and has already implemented a number of measures to secure new housing developments.
With government support, 2017 saw the biggest increase in housing supply in England – over 217,000 new homes – for almost a decade. However the government aim is to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s. In order to achieve this, more planning permissions need to be fast tracked to allow both first time buyers access to the housing market, and our increase the supply of appropriate housing to the older.
It is to this end that Prime Minister is conducting the first major overhaul to the National Planning Policy Framework in six years. The reforms provide a comprehensive approach for planners, developers and councils to build more homes, more quickly, in the places people want to live. Councils and developers will now be required to work with community groups to ensure those affected by new developments will have a say on how they look and feel. It will focus on the following areas:
Greater responsibility: Local authorities will have a new housing delivery test focused on driving up the numbers of homes actually delivered in their area, rather than numbers planned for. Developers will also be held to account for delivering the commitments, including affordable housing and the infrastructure needed to support communities.
Maximising the use of land: Local authorities will be allowed to make the most of existing brownfield land for housing, while using redundant retail or industrial land will be encouraged, with more flexibilities given to extend upwards.
Maintaining strong protections for the environment: Ensuring developments bring environmental benefits environment where possible, as well as increasing the protection given to ancient woodland.
Ensuring the right homes are built: Delivering more affordable homes that meet the housing needs of everyone such as; first time buyers, build to rent homes, guaranteed affordable homes for key workers, and adapted homes for older people.
Higher quality and design: Introducing new quality standards for well designed new.
More transparent planning process: Local authorities will be encouraged to work together and continue to close the gap between planning permissions granted and homes built.
Housing Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “An entire generation is being locked out of a broken housing market as prices and rents race ahead of supply. Reforming the planning system is the crucial next step to building the homes the country needs.
“This government is determined to fix the broken housing market and restore the dream of home ownership for a new generation. There is no silver bullet to this problem but we’re re-writing the rules on planning so we can take action on all fronts.
“In moving to a more integrated society, the focus for everyone, whether a developer or a neighbourhood group, must be to come together to build the homes our communities deserve.”
John Acres, MRTPI, President, The Royal Town Planning Institute, said: “We are delighted to be co-launching the consultation on the new National Planning Policy Framework today and we encourage the planning profession and others who care about planning and what it can do, to feed back to government.
“The RTPI will be holding a series of round table sessions for our members around the country to discuss its contents.
“Planners are critical to and passionate about building vibrant and connected neighbourhoods, towns, cities and wider areas; at the heart of which we need to ensure we build enough good quality homes that fit the needs of all.
“A clear, concise and consistent policy context can help to deliver this. We applaud the government’s focus on homes and planning and in revising the framework.”
However, the Prime Minister is clear that the answer to the housing crisis does not lie in tearing up the Green Belt. The Government will be maintaining existing strong protections so that authorities can only amend Green Belt boundaries if they can prove that they have fully explored every other reasonable option for building the homes their communities need. There will also be stronger protections for ancient woodlands and historic coastlines.
Only 10 per cent of England has been built on and only 13 per cent is covered by Green Belt – the purpose of which is to prevent urban sprawl. The PM will be clear that developers and local authorities must only allocate Green Belt sites for development for exceptional reasons. Should development have to go ahead it must first make use of brownfield sites, and where land is removed, they must create new spaces.
These planning reforms are part of a wider package of housing reforms designed to tackle the housing shortage; including a £5Bn Housing Infrastructure Fund which has already seen £866M allocated to 133 council led projects to fund key local infrastructure including new roads, cycle paths, flood defences and land remediation work, all essential ahead of building the homes.
Source: UK Construction Media / Gov.uk
UK Construction week unveils its Role Models campaign
/in Home Page news feed, NewsUK Construction Week is launching a new initiative for 2018 to help the industry compete for talent and improve recruitment. It will do this by taking role models in the industry and elevating their profile and their story in a nationwide publicity campaign through trade and consumer media.
Nathan Garnett, Event Director for UKCW explains: “There are some amazing people working in the sector and their stories can be inspirational to others. So we are planning for UK Construction Week to act as a platform to do just that, inspire a new generation of construction professionals to join this rewarding and exciting industry.”
Role models will also be asked to take part in an outreach programme, going to colleges and schools in the coming months to talk to students and teachers at key stages of their education to explain what inspired them to choose construction as a career and bust any myths around the image of construction.
UK Construction Week is looking for professionals to apply or to be nominated. This is an opportunity for people to raise their own profile if they feel they deserve it, or for colleagues to nominate professionals they feel deserve recognition. This is a great chance for a company to raise its profile by showcasing its talent, as well as for unsung heroes to gain valuable encouragement, as well as help recruit a whole new generation of construction professionals.
This is aimed at all walks of the sector, whether you are a newly qualified apprentice, or someone who has transferred into the sector from the military or automotive industries. You could be working in facilities management, architecture, energy management, civil engineering, site management, bricklaying, digital construction, electro technical installation, roofing… the list goes on! UKCW want a diverse and representative selection to show the world the myriad of opportunities and talent the sector holds.
Successful UKCW Role Models will be asked to speak at UK Construction Week on the main stage or individual show stages, to take part in the UKCW student initiative, and they will be asked to write for the Construction Matters blog. They will also be invited to selected events in the coming months, as well as being VIPs at the main event in October.
Whilst all those selected in the group will gain significant profile from the campaign, there will be awards presented at the event itself to those who have been selected by the UKCW Advisory Committee to have been deemed the UKCW Role Models of the year. These will be presented at UK Construction Week on Tuesday 9th October in front of the journalists and industry VIPs.
Deadline for Nominations is Friday 27th April.
To enter or nominate, visit https://www.ukconstructionweek.com/news/show-news/2189-role-models and submit a 300 word max biog and short summary (under 300 words) on why you or your nomination should be selected.
Trade companies to support Macmillan men with cancer campaign
/in Home Page news feed, NewsMacmillan Cancer Support is uniting with nine companies across the sector for their ‘Just Say the Word’ male cancer campaign.
Companies taking part include Benchmarx Kitchens and Joinery, CEF, ISG plc, Mace, Selco Builders Warehouse, telent Technology Services, Topps Tiles, Travis Perkins and Wolseley, who have joined forces with the charity to raise awareness of the impact of cancer on men and encourage those who need it to access support.
New Macmillan and Toluna research reveals that 26 per cent of tradesmen wouldn’t feel comfortable having a serious conversation regarding their health with their work colleagues.
Dave Watkins, 59, is an Associate Director at Mace and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016. “When I was diagnosed, I initially found it really difficult to talk to others about my cancer and the emotional toll it was taking. Mentally, I found it difficult to come to terms with cancer and was in a dark place. But my experience really improved when I published my story on Mace’s staff intranet. My company and colleagues were incredibly supportive and helped my drive to stay positive.”
In its third year running, ‘Just Say the Word’ has had a great response previously and had inspired colleagues and customers to seek medical support.
Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “We are long-standing supporters of Macmillan Cancer Support and, through the amazing efforts of our staff, customers and suppliers, have raised over £500,000 for the charity within the last five years. We are all as motivated as ever to keep up the fundraising and we are also delighted to support the ‘Just Say the Word’ campaign to help spread key messages to people operating in the trade.”
Of the tradesmen that participated in the survey, 36 per cent of those with cancer also experienced depression, 40 per cent anxiety and 12 per cent shame, after they were diagnosed.
‘Just Say the Word’ runs from 23rd April to 6th May, and will have a visible presence in branches and sites of the nine participating partners. Posters and leaflets will be publicised, encouraging those with health concerns to get support. Fundraising for Macmillan will take place over the two weeks within the sector, raising money to help the charity provide support to people living with cancer across the UK.
For more information please visit the Macmillan website https://www.macmillan.org.uk
Source: Electrical Times
Contractors who don’t pay on time to be banned from public works
/in Home Page news feedMain contractors who do not pay their supplier promptly are to be banned from bidding for public sector contracts according to the Government.
The measure is among a package of proposed measures to help smaller businesses win public sector and government contracts.
Under the proposals, tier one contractors on government contracts, including construction projects, will be forced to demonstrate “fair and effective payment practices with their subcontractors”, otherwise they will not be allowed to bid for work.
Other plans include allowing subcontractors to have greater access to buying authorities to report poor payment performance.
Further requirements mean suppliers will have to advertise subcontracting opportunities via the government’s Contracts Finder procurement website. They will also have to provide the government with data showing how businesses in their supply chain, including small businesses, are benefiting from supplying to central government.
In addition, each government department has been directed to nominate a minister as small business champion.
No timetable has been given for implementation of the proposals.
Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said: “This government is listening to the business community and is committed to levelling the playing field for smaller suppliers to win work in the public sector.
“We have set a challenging aspiration that 33% of procurement spend should be with small businesses by 2022 – and are doing more than ever to break down barriers for smaller firms. Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, and play a key role in helping us to build a strong, viable private sector that delivers value for taxpayers and jobs for millions all over the UK.”
Federation of Small Businesses national chairman Mike Cherry said: “Each year, the UK public sector spends over £200bn on goods and services from third parties. As such a large and prominent customer in the economy, the government has a pivotal role to play in demonstrating what it is to be a good client.
“It is right then that the government today announces, as part of a new package to boost SME procurement, that it will clamp down on poor payment practice throughout public procurement supply chains. Companies who pay late should not be rewarded with public sector contracts.
We need a robust public procurement process that holds larger companies to account for their payment practices.”
The Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group also welcomed the proposals. SEC Group chief executive Rudi Klein said that he was particularly pleased by the government’s promise to exclude poor payers from government procurement.
“We have been urging the government to introduce a yellow/red card system for a long time. The yellow card is a warning to improve payment performance and the red card excludes a continuing poor performer from bidding for government contracts for a period of 2 to 3 years.”
Rudi Klein added that if such a system had already been in place Carillion would have been excluded from government contracts.
However SEC Group believes that on payment security the government needs to go further and legislate to require that project bank accounts are put in place for all public sector projects. It also wants the government to back the Private Member’s Bill (now in the House of Commons) that will protect cash retentions.
“The Carillion debacle has revealed the appalling level of abuse heaped on construction supply chains,” Rudi Klein said. “We should also be considering the introduction of a statutory regulator to challenge the behaviour of large firms and, if necessary, fine them in the worst cases of abuse.”
Source: The Construction Index
Charity darts night in aid of Southampton Foster Carers Association
/in Charity Events, Home Page news feed, NewsOn Friday evening we hosted a charity darts night in aid of 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.
If you would like to help them to fund raise or would like to donate then please contact Southampton City Council’s fostering service on freephone 0800 5 19 18 18 or visit fostering@southampton.gov.uk
A good time was had by all!
Enter the 2018 Construction Enquirer Awards
/in NewsThe Construction Enquirer Awards 2018 are now open for entries.
Anyone can put forward a great company to work for or do business with.
Running in conjunction with UK Construction week, the Construction Enquirer Awards are dedicated to recognising and rewarding the industry’s best companies to work for and the best firms to do business with.
The event in Birmingham will be attended by directors and senior staff from leading construction firms. The top ten winners will be revealed in the first week of August with the awards themselves being held on the 9th October. The awards night will be hosted by Architect and Broadcaster George Clarke, and the deadline for entries is the 8th June.
Early bird individual ticket prices are £250 or £2500 for a table of 10.
The awards categories are as follows:
•Best Client to Work With (Public and Private)
•Best Main Contractor to Work For (Over £250m)
•Best Main Contractor to Work For (£50m – £250m)
•Best Main Contractor to Work For (Under £50m)
•Best Specialist Contractor to Work For (Over 25m)
•Best Specialist Contractor to Work For (Under £25m)
•Best Main Contractor to Work With (Over £250m)
•Best Main Contractor to Work With (Under £250m)
•Best Specialist Contractor to Work With
•Best Construction Supplier to Work With
•Best Consultant to Work For
•Best Construction Project to Work On (Civils)
•Best Construction Project to Work On (Building)
The awards will run in conjunction with UK Construction week, held in Birmingham from the 9th – 11th October.
To nominate or apply for a company please go to:
https://www.ukconstructionweek.com/construction-enquirer-awards/submit-your-entry
Prime Minister tackles housing shortage
/in NewsThe Prime Minister has launched a set of planning reforms aimed at tackling the housing shortage and delivering homes for everyone.
The reforms mark a major overhaul to the National Planning Policy, focusing on maximising the use of land, strengthening protections for the Green Belt, and placing a greater emphasis on converting planning permissions into homes.
Theresa May has warned developers who are too slow to build houses that their past record could count against them when they bid for new planning permissions. She wants to rewrite the rules on planning to help developers and local authorities to build more properties to allow more people to own their home.
The government is determined to tackle the housing shortage and has already implemented a number of measures to secure new housing developments.
With government support, 2017 saw the biggest increase in housing supply in England – over 217,000 new homes – for almost a decade. However the government aim is to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s. In order to achieve this, more planning permissions need to be fast tracked to allow both first time buyers access to the housing market, and our increase the supply of appropriate housing to the older.
It is to this end that Prime Minister is conducting the first major overhaul to the National Planning Policy Framework in six years. The reforms provide a comprehensive approach for planners, developers and councils to build more homes, more quickly, in the places people want to live. Councils and developers will now be required to work with community groups to ensure those affected by new developments will have a say on how they look and feel. It will focus on the following areas:
Greater responsibility: Local authorities will have a new housing delivery test focused on driving up the numbers of homes actually delivered in their area, rather than numbers planned for. Developers will also be held to account for delivering the commitments, including affordable housing and the infrastructure needed to support communities.
Maximising the use of land: Local authorities will be allowed to make the most of existing brownfield land for housing, while using redundant retail or industrial land will be encouraged, with more flexibilities given to extend upwards.
Maintaining strong protections for the environment: Ensuring developments bring environmental benefits environment where possible, as well as increasing the protection given to ancient woodland.
Ensuring the right homes are built: Delivering more affordable homes that meet the housing needs of everyone such as; first time buyers, build to rent homes, guaranteed affordable homes for key workers, and adapted homes for older people.
Higher quality and design: Introducing new quality standards for well designed new.
More transparent planning process: Local authorities will be encouraged to work together and continue to close the gap between planning permissions granted and homes built.
Housing Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “An entire generation is being locked out of a broken housing market as prices and rents race ahead of supply. Reforming the planning system is the crucial next step to building the homes the country needs.
“This government is determined to fix the broken housing market and restore the dream of home ownership for a new generation. There is no silver bullet to this problem but we’re re-writing the rules on planning so we can take action on all fronts.
“In moving to a more integrated society, the focus for everyone, whether a developer or a neighbourhood group, must be to come together to build the homes our communities deserve.”
John Acres, MRTPI, President, The Royal Town Planning Institute, said: “We are delighted to be co-launching the consultation on the new National Planning Policy Framework today and we encourage the planning profession and others who care about planning and what it can do, to feed back to government.
“The RTPI will be holding a series of round table sessions for our members around the country to discuss its contents.
“Planners are critical to and passionate about building vibrant and connected neighbourhoods, towns, cities and wider areas; at the heart of which we need to ensure we build enough good quality homes that fit the needs of all.
“A clear, concise and consistent policy context can help to deliver this. We applaud the government’s focus on homes and planning and in revising the framework.”
However, the Prime Minister is clear that the answer to the housing crisis does not lie in tearing up the Green Belt. The Government will be maintaining existing strong protections so that authorities can only amend Green Belt boundaries if they can prove that they have fully explored every other reasonable option for building the homes their communities need. There will also be stronger protections for ancient woodlands and historic coastlines.
Only 10 per cent of England has been built on and only 13 per cent is covered by Green Belt – the purpose of which is to prevent urban sprawl. The PM will be clear that developers and local authorities must only allocate Green Belt sites for development for exceptional reasons. Should development have to go ahead it must first make use of brownfield sites, and where land is removed, they must create new spaces.
These planning reforms are part of a wider package of housing reforms designed to tackle the housing shortage; including a £5Bn Housing Infrastructure Fund which has already seen £866M allocated to 133 council led projects to fund key local infrastructure including new roads, cycle paths, flood defences and land remediation work, all essential ahead of building the homes.
Source: UK Construction Media / Gov.uk
Wear a hat for brain tumour research
/in Home Page news feedBrain tumour research is so important. Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer… yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
So, grab your favourite (hard) hat and raise funds to bring us closer to a cure for brain tumours – either on Thursday 29th March or on any day during the month.
Since Wear A Hat Day started back in 2010 it has raised over £1,000,000 for Brain Tumour Research! The campaign is the culmination of Brain Tumour Awareness Month in March.
Funds raised through Wear A Hat Day 2018 will develop a network of world-class brain tumour research Centres of Excellence in the UK. The charity relies on funds raised by supporters.
The scientists at the four UK Centres of Excellence work together to gain a greater understanding of brain tumours and to identify ways in which they can be treated effectively.
The funding strategy means that there is investment in long-term research, building the ‘critical mass’ of expertise needed to accelerate the journey to find a cure. In turn, this facilitates increased research investment from other sources.
It is essential that there is long-term research into this devastating disease. Despite advancements for many other types of cancer, treatment options for brain tumours is still very limited, largely due to the historic underfunding for research into neuro-oncology.
For more information on how you can get involved please visit their website at:
https://www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise/wear-a-hat-day
Housing Minister announces new funding
/in Home Page news feed, NewsNew funding to help speed up planning decisions and help deliver quality new homes has been announced by Housing Minister Dominic Raab.
The first wave of the Planning Delivery Fund, totalling £15.8 million, has been awarded to enable councils to process more applications, implement new reforms and also train planners to tackle the housing challenges faced by their local area.
This funding boost will support local authorities working together on ambitious new joint local plans and core strategies, which will engage residents on how future development will take place in their areas and outline the locations suitable for new homes where demand is high.
The funding will also support greater best practice and innovation within councils as they decide planning applications, resulting in more being determined over a shorter period of time.
Money awarded to bidders will also allow local authorities to access the latest expertise on design and town planning, driving up the quality of new homes built.
This first wave of funding has been split into 3 streams that will assist in delivering new homes across England: The Joint Working Fund (£9.4 million), Design Quality Fund (£4.82 million) and Promoting Innovation Fund (£1.07 million).
A total of 68 projects will receive funding from the Planning Delivery Fund across all 3 streams, from 2017 until 2019.
The launch of this fund will give successful councils a greater capability to implement the government’s reforms of the planning system and comes as the Ministry for Housing prepares to launch its revised National Planning Policy Framework later this spring.
Dominic Raab said:
This cash boost ensures councils have the resources needed to make quicker decisions on planning applications, delivering quality housing at a faster rate.
It’s part of our strategy to build the homes this country needs whilst also supporting residents to have their say on the kind of development that takes place in their area.
New project alert!
/in ProjectsWe’re pleased to announce another successful tender for Broadsword Projects LTD. Our work will begin in the coming weeks on the Southlands hospital extension project with Kier construction.
Air Pollution could cause a problem
/in Home Page news feed, NewsThe Considerate Constructors scheme have recently conducted a survey which reveals an urgent need for greater awareness and understanding of air pollution across the construction industry, and provides advice on tackling the issue.
Air pollution is a key concern for the construction industry due to the sector’s considerable impact on air quality.
•Less than a quarter of all air pollution-related deaths are in London, so it is clear that air pollution is everyone’s problem.
•Construction sites are responsible for 7.5% of nitrogen oxide emissions, 8% of large particle emissions and 14.5% of emissions of the most dangerous fine particles.
•The construction sector mostly contributes to air pollution through construction dust, plant machinery and construction transport.
•The industry is taking steps to reduce air pollution through air quality plans, emissions monitoring, dust management, low-emission plant machinery, delivery management and raising workforce awareness.
Air quality plans
At the outset of a large project or one adjacent to sensitive receptors, it is important to incorporate air quality considerations into the management and logistics plans. These can include the following:
•Where the risk of dust is deemed to have a negative impact on amenity, health and the natural environment – relative to site-specific factors such as proximity to sensitive receptors – an Air Quality Assessment may be required. This assessment should identify the level of risk to air quality during each stage of the project.
•Air Quality and Dust Management Plans should outline the steps being taken to mitigate the adverse impact of construction activities on air quality.
•In preparing Construction Logistics Plans, contractors should engage with their client/developers to demonstrate how they will deal with pollution issues during construction. This can include the controls and systems outlined in the above documents and traffic/delivery considerations.
Monitoring
It is difficult to assess a site’s impact on air quality if no monitoring is carried out, so sites could consider the following:
•Baseline monitoring of air quality levels in the vicinity of the works before the project commences will act as a reference point to identify good and bad practice throughout the project.
•Dust emissions should be monitored through specialised machinery, visual inspections, daily dust logs etc.
•Continuous air quality and particulate monitoring will alert the contractor to any rapid increases in pollutant concentrations, so that mitigation measures can be put in place.
While 84% of survey respondents acknowledge there is an issue with air pollution in the construction industry, nearly two thirds (64%) feel the industry is not doing enough to tackle this issue.
The survey, which involved over 600 respondents from across the UK and Irish construction industries, also revealed:
•91% said air pollution is a nationwide issue.
•88% said the importance of minimising air pollution is being communicated to the workforce on their site.
•62% said their site has appropriate measures in place to address air pollution.
•56% have a good or detailed understanding of air pollution.
•39% have an average understanding of the regulations surrounding air pollution.
Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive, Edward Hardy said:
A staggering 40,000 deaths a year are linked to air pollution in the UK, and many people are suffering long-term health problems caused by poor air quality. As construction is a significant contributor to air pollution, it is essential for the industry to put measures in place to clean up our air by working together to reduce our impact on air quality.
The Scheme’s ‘Spotlight on…air pollution’ campaign provides everyone within the industry access to a practical suite of resources including best practice, guidance and case studies from Scheme-registered construction sites, companies and suppliers on how to tackle this issue, as well as guidance from organisations including the Institute of Air Quality Management, Healthy Air Campaign and the Greater London Authority.
We are proud to be at the forefront of collaborative efforts to tackle air pollution, having partnered with the Institution of Civil Engineers to produce Scheme posters for registered sites, companies and suppliers to raise the issue of air pollution to their workforce. The Institution of Civil Engineers has also recognised the value of the industry being committed to the Considerate Constructors Scheme, having highlighted Scheme registration within its London Air Quality Taskforce report published in 2017.
Professor Peter Hansford FREng FICE, Chair of ICE Air Quality Task Force commented:
The Institution of Civil Engineers is delighted to be partnering with the Scheme for the launch of its ‘Spotlight on…air pollution’ campaign. The Scheme offers a golden opportunity for the industry to ‘up its game’ in relation to air quality around our construction sites and is a key driving force in helping to address this issue across the industry.
For the full report please go here:
https://ccsbestpractice.org.uk/spotlight-on/spotlight-on-air-pollution/#Introduction
Sources: cscscheme.org