News

An official consultation on proposed new technical standards for retrofitting the UK’s offices, factories, hotels and other commercial buildings for improved energy efficiency is experiencing push-back from professional energy assessors.

Scotland’s Kingdom Housing Association is celebrating the first year of an innovative industry partnership with the University of Stirling formed to improve the employability of Housing Studies students.

On 23 October 2020, Julie James MS, Minister of Housing and Local Government at the Welsh Government, published a Written Statement entitled Building Safety Funding in Wales.

As I write this in September the future is once again looking uncertain with a resurgence in Covid-19 infections – and by the time you read this in November, America may (or may not) have a new President, with all of the implications for the global economy that brings. The pace of change around us all is accelerating and it can be disorientating.

Kevin Blunden FCABE, Chartered Building Engineer and Associate Director at Harwood Building Control has been elected as the new Chairman of the Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors (ACAI).

A living roof specialist is calling on the government to green up the Green Homes Grant by extending it to include environment-friendly roof garden projects.

To assist in the design, specification and installation of building services penetrations to ensure fire compartmentation is maintained, five leading not-for-profit organisations have launched a Best Practice Design and Installation Guide, Firestopping of Service Penetrations.

If the UK is to make a low-carbon recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic it’s essential that we reuse more materials and renovate existing buildings rather than constructing new ones, according to researchers from the University of Sheffield.

Fraser Johns, Finance Director at Beard, said of September’s ONS construction output data: “In a sense there was really only one way these figures could go starting from such a low base back at the start of Q2, when we saw a 40.2% drop in GDP. But continued growth at this rate for the third consecutive month has to be a good thing.

The Heat Pump Association (HPA) has launched a five-clear-steps Training Strategy for plumbing and heating engineers to support the wider adoption of heat pumps throughout the UK building stock.

There has never been a better time to become a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) – so say CEnv registrants themselves…

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) House Builders’ Survey 2020, has tracked the experience of SME house builders in England.

In September the Housing Secretary announced new investment to help the country “build back better”, including homes for social rent to help the most vulnerable.

The Department of Finance has launched a consultation on amending Building Regulations and associated technical booklets in relation to external fire spread on buildings.

How many times have we heard it said that we are living in very strange times?

More than 2,000 people each year in the UK suffer eye injuries in the workplace, with 10%-20% of those injured experiencing temporary or permanent vision loss.

Jayson Whitaker, Managing Director of Energy Assets Networks, said “While everyone welcomes the move to low-carbon technologies, there is also a growing realisation that local power networks may not be able to cope with the huge increase in demand for electricity as we transition to electric vehicle (EV) charging, particularly when you add in the impact of air source heat pumps.”

Aerial mapping company Bluesky International has capitalised on the recent Covid-19 lockdown and subsequent airspace restrictions to capture in excess of 130,000km2 across the UK and Ireland

The government has issued guidance for placing construction products on the GB market (England, Wales and Scotland) from 1 January 2021 because of the end of recognition of the CE mark following the departure from Europe.

The Property Care Association (PCA) has created the Ground Gas Protection Group to support industry specialists within the sector.