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Construction companies can now apply for free Covid home testing kits for their staff until 12 April 2021.  As part of the Government’s workplace testing programme, from 6 April, any company with more than 10 employees will be eligible for the tests where onsite...

This week sees the first anniversary since the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic which has caused the collapse into liquidation of more than 1,600 building companies since March 2020, - more than those in the hospitality or retail sector. New statistics show...

In order for the UK to meet the Net Zero target by 2050, the existing stock of Britain’s housing will need to be decarbonised as this currently accounts for 20% of greenhouse emissions.  The Government has estimated this to come at a cost of between £35bn and £65bn,...

Woodbourne Group has unveiled plans for the first mixed-use tower to be constructed in a key part of Birmingham city centre which could create more than 1,000 jobs. A mix of residential living spaces for up to 732 students, and up to 498 residential co-living units....

A survey recently conducted of 14,000 landlords by mydeposits and OME suggests that despite the destructive effects of the pandemic, there is a general optimism amongst them for the future of the BTL sector. Several factors were covered in the survey including...

New VAT rules finally come into force on Tuesday following a long-time plan to implement reverse charge VAT rules. Sub-contractors will now no longer be able to receive VAT payments for their services, unless they are working directly for the end client.  They will...

This week’s budget has been the subject of many rumours following The Building Societies Association calling last week for the chancellor to bring an end to the current stamp duty holiday with a tapered end rather than a sudden cut off which could leave many home...

Recent Government figures show that typical house prices increased by 8.6% last year, with the average house price reaching £254,525 in December of 2020, up from £234,412 from the same month in the previous year. The increase in property value has seen investors’...

Since the launch of the Help-to-Buy Scheme was launched seven years ago, 278,000 households have received an advance from the government to help them get a deposit together for a new home. Although the scheme is coming to an end, information obtained from Homes...

The CIC has set out a number of concerns over the Government’s proposals to extend Permitted Development Rights (PDR) which will allow developers to bypass normal planning procedures when converting premises for residential use and has requested that the Government...

After 4 years of formation, the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) has launched that will appoint and work alongside a New Homes Ombudsman Service to support buyers in the event of a dispute. The (NHQB) is an independent body that has been formed as a champion of new...

HMRC has released new figures from the end of 2020 to detail the level of support given to the UK workforce. The Construction industry was in receipt of support paid under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and despite numbers falling in October, the amount paid out...

The UK Police has launched a new guide to offer advice to construction sites on how to reduce the risk of theft, criminal damage, arson and anti-social behaviour and to help contractors meet completion dates and development costs. The guide provides advice on how to...

The Nexus construction helmet will, in March, have a new upgraded version revealed that incorporates a new technology called Mips (a Swedish safety helmet technology), to improve safety and reduce the risk of concussion or serious brain injury. The helmet, which is...

Members of the BMP who collectively represent a £38 billion share of the construction industry have reported of a shortage on products including roofing materials and timber which is starting to have a detrimental effect on the industry. Some members have reported...

According to the latest official data, London house prices saw a big increase towards the end of 2020 with a rise of 4% between October and November last year.  An annual price rise of 9.7 saw average property prices breaking the £500,000 threshold for the first time...

Proposals to introduce new regulations to control overheating in new homes have become part of a consultation following research by the Government.  These regulations propose to build all new residential homes in London with windows up to 60% smaller than elsewhere in...

With the aim of speeding up the transaction process for residential purchases, a mortgage lender says it will now accept ‘no-search indemnity insurance’. An intermediary only lender, Foundation Home Loans says it will allow for conveyancing solicitors to place the...

BoE figures show that home buyers were given around 105,000 loans for purchasing new homes in November of 2020, up from 98,300 in October which marks the highest number since August 2007. Pent up demand has been a driver behind the surge in numbers meaning that by...

The sharp drop in migrant workers over the course of the last year may a continuing trend that could impede the recovery of the economy in the UK. Not only has there been an exodus of EU immigrants that were already working in the UK, but applications by Europeans for...

The Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group is being wound down and replaced with a new group after almost 30 years of promoting the interests of subcontractors in the construction industry. The SEC has historically represented a group of sub-industries within...

Ending months of negotiations and uncertainty, Boris Johnson finally agreed a trade deal with the EU at the end of 2020, including fishing rights and future business rules. Although still expected to come into force, the deal is unlikely to be signed off by Parliament...

A revolutionary new crawler crane that could make a valuable contribution to the UK´s target of zero carbon has been launched by Liebherr. Cranes are invaluable to the construction industry in lifting heavy components and to have the opportunity to do so without...

An independent report, SME Finance Monitor published by BVA BDRC has found that more SMEs (42%) were optimistically looking to the future and that Q3 was focused on planning ahead. However, one in three SMEs still think that the worst is yet to come and are preparing...

Earlier this year, the government announced new planning reforms which allows developers to convert a wider range of commercial buildings into homes without acquiring planning permission for a change of use. Under the previous rules, it was only offices that could be...

Deloitte Real Estate’s latest crane survey has revealed that the number of new offices being constructed in London has dropped by 50%. Following the global pandemic which has caused delays to current projects, the London market is now facing a state of suspension. ...

As of this 15th of this month, there will be a reduction in quarantine period for travellers coming into the UK from abroad which is hoped will breathe new life into the London property market, in particular the Prime Central London (PCL) property market. For arrivals...

After a two-year pilot project devised by a letting agency, a new up-front payment system which has been hailed as ´game changing´ is about to be rolled out across the UK. Choices is a letting agency in the South East of England and has other associate brands...

Following the global pandemic which saw sales plummet for builders´ merchants throughout the year, particularly in the months from March to May, September 2020 has seen a surge in sales which are up 8.3% compared with September 2019, according to the latest report by...

The use of timber in construction is growing and the actions of a consortium of organisations is aiming to boost the usage of home-grown wood through the establishment of the first ever engineered timber manufacturing plant in the UK. Innovate UK has granted funds...

Excavation at a construction site in Barking, Essex has found various artefacts dating back to several periods including Medieval, Saxon and Roman times. The site is adjacent to the ruins of Barking Abbey which was once considered an important religious centre before...

Following the release of the Government’s Planning for the Future whitepaper in August, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) has now published its response. The CIC is the representative for professional bodies, research organisations and specialist business...

The housing market has recently boomed, with record house price growth rates and pent up demand seeing the busiest months for house sales in years.  Planning reforms have made it easier to convert premises to a different use – either commercial or residential and for...

Any employee around the world who works for JCB has been given an extra day holiday over Christmas to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company and the 75th birthday of the owner. UK employees must take their holiday on Christmas Eve which will extend the standard...

The Office of National Statistics has released figures for UK construction output in August 2020. Following record monthly construction output growth in June (21.8%) and July (17.2%) of 2020, growth slowed to 3.0% in August.  Although output rose to £12,455 million,...

What may be due to pent up demand or an urgency to complete on a house purchase before the possibility of another complete lock down, the UK housing market boomed throughout September and October. New records were set and Rightmove made new forecasts in light of...

Ahead of the UK Government imposing a second lockdown starting today, applications for its business support loan schemes have been extended until 31 January 2021. Loans that have been extended include the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the...

Waiting for completion on a sale before you can start your next project can be frustrating.  Bridging the gap between a sale and next purchase with Bridging Finance can get you moving faster than if you had to wait for a sale.  Many developers use bridging finance...

Many may be familiar with the Yellow Book which is a directory of construction equipment that was previously unavailable digitally.  Now for the first time, it available online and is fully searchable and free to use. User will need to register their details but can...

Compariqo can arrange a policy called a ´Retrospective Structural Warranty´ which is for properties that have already been built and finished but do not have structural defects insurance in place. Once an inspection has been successfully completed and there has been...

Fresh, damp plaster in a new build property can be an invitation to plaster beetles to come in and feast. If you or your clients experience an infestation, it could be due to the house not being dried out properly prior to habitation. Although not considered to be...

A new report by a major government advisor has estimated that up to 50,000 new jobs could be created if the government targeted 75,000, high-quality, well designed modular homes per year by 2030. The report has been co-authored by Mike De’Ath, partner at HTA Design...

Brick merchant Brickability has reported a pre-tax profit despite the slump during Covid lockdown. After listing on the AIM last September, the firm reported a pre-tax profit of £12.2m in the year to March, an increase of 42% and up 15% on revenue to £187m. The firm...

There’s no better peace of mind for a homeowner than having a 10-year structural warranty in place to cover the cost of repairing any structural defects that may arise in a new build property during the first 10 years of its life. As an insurance policy, a homeowner...

What do you do when you have an invasion of Horsetail on your site? Equisetum arvense, commonly known as Horsetail can be a proverbial thorn in the side to developers, but there are ways to deal with it that will benefit your budget and the environment. The weed has...

England will see the shared ownership scheme being overhauled in a bid to increase the amount of people getting onto the property ladder. To start with, the initial share purchase which used to be 25% has now been cut to 10% to make purchasing more affordable. If...

In a bid to boost housing development in the UK, central government recently announced the biggest housing reform since the second world war, although the plans have not been well received with local councillors. A recent survey conducted reveals that 78% of...

July saw almost 66,300 mortgage approvals, jumping 40% from 39,900 in June – a good sign that the market is in recovery according to the Bank of England who says that the number of approvals is now nearing the average of pre-pandemic levels. The surge in demand is...

The UK’s largest house builder is targeting 15,000 home completions for the year ahead after experiencing a surge in demand for new homes after the end of lockdown.   Production rates are now back on track and the company is preparing to ramp up for new completions as...

Following the global pandemic which saw a complete lockdown in many countries across the globe, many office workers were forced to switch the way they work and work from home. The majority of the UK has now returned to some semblance of office normality through...

A fundraise led by Vanneck Investments along with participation from a host of entrepreneurs and investors has raised £1.2 million of seed funding for a start-up company specialising in hire equipment for the construction market. London based Skrap, the construction...

Construction activity in the UK is showing signs of recovery following the worst global recession since the second world war.  Output soared in July with the highest activity recorded since October 2015.  Information provider IHS Markit found that the rise in the...

The Department for Education (DfE) has appointed Kier for a £24.7 million project at the Dover Grammar School for Boys.  The project was procured through the DfE Construction Framework and is due for completion in Summer 2023.  With the aim of providing new amenities...

The Financial Times has reported that City of London economists have predicted a 14.3% rise in GDP for Q3, - which will have a positive impact on the Construction industry, according to recruitment specialist Simon Robinson, co-founder of Red Diamond Executive...

A recent survey conducted by Dakea, a leading manufacturer of roof windows built for the trade has revealed that 78% of tradespeople believe that the industry needs more recruits which it is currently seriously underutilising. The survey questioned 500 roofers,...

Work has begun on the £2m refurbishment of a landmark office building at 54 Hagley Road in Edgbaston, Birmingham by Aberdeen Standard Investments. The outdated building contains a 16-storey east wing and an eight-floor west wing, of which five floors are being...

In a bid to boost confidence to new build homebuyers, the government has released a Building Safety Bill in which it includes plans to introduce a New Homes Ombudsman so that homebuyers have effective and accessible methods for seeking redress for problems encountered...

Although figures are still lower by 35.9% than the same period in the previous year which has been mostly accredited to the pandemic, the latest data from HMRC reveals that between May and June this year, residential property transactions climbed to 63,250 - a rise of...

The name’s Bond…Performance Bond actually  But it could be any type of Bond required in construction – the main ones that are usually requested through Compariqo aside from Performance Bonds are Insolvency Bonds, Advance Payment Bonds or Road and Sewer Bonds.  A bond...

Vistry is undertaking a regeneration project of a 21-acre site in Bristol. The plans include 346 homes, several retail and start-up business units, a community building and many green spaces factored in to the community. In a partnership with Ilke, Vistry will deliver...

SME housebuilders already face certain barriers to growth such as access to land, the poor planning process and access to finance (read our ebook on the top 3 barriers facing SME builders). SME’s make up a large part of the UK economy and require more active support...

A series of large pits in a ring formation of large pits has been found encircling Stonehenge, leaving the immediate future of the Stonehenge tunnel project uncertain.  The pits cover a distance of approximately one kilometre and require study to determine their...

The future of the Building Control sector in the UK is set be reformed, being a key part of the Government’s Building Safety Programme. NHBC, along with other leading organisations have formed the “Future of Building Control Working Group”, which has been formed to...

September is the date set for the implementation of the biggest reform to planning since the Second World War which will allow Britain to build without all of the red tape restrictions that come with normal planning procedures. With special emphasis on commercial...

The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced that the scheme which helps more families across the UK into affordable homes has been extended by a year. Following the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent slump in housebuilding, it has been...

Despite the £30m loan from Homes England in 2019, modular housebuilder Ilke has started a redundancy program due to the high number of contract delays following the Covid-19 pandemic. Ilke employs over 600 people and although it has not been confirmed how many people...

In a bid to boost the housing market, Rishi Sunak has affected an immediate cut on stamp duty.  This makes up part of a package which is expected to include a six-month “holiday” from the charge on most homes to provide an incentive to boost the market again....

Some of the most positive news we have had for weeks is the announcement of the fastest housebuilding rise for five years which has given fresh hope of a strong economic recovery from the slump caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.  A PMI survey was conducted of the...

As of Monday 29 June 2020, a Business and Planning Bill published by Government completed all legislative stages in the house of commons.  This coincides with new guidance published on Construction working hours. The Bill is intended to address the Coronavirus...

For the first time ever, JCB has started to sell their machinery online directly to the end-buyers.  The new service has been launched to improve the experience of their customers and JCB UK and Ireland sales director Steve Smith said “The new service gives customers...

Another blow to hit the construction sector are plans to abandon £1bn worth of expansion projects at various airports around the UK. As the worlds airline industry has almost ground to a halt following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many planes grounded...

In response to the government´s proposal to ban the use of combustible materials in and on external walls of buildings, the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) is asking for a group effort in promoting structural timber. The government is currently considering...

Banks and Building Societies have now extended the mortgage payment holiday for a further 3 months to help homeowners who have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Lenders have also agreed to not proceed with involuntary repossessions for home owners who have...

Now that Estate Agents across the UK are breathing a sigh of relief that they can get back to selling houses, we're all asking the question…what does the market look like?  Is it time to grab a bargain?  What could happen to house prices as the market recovers from...

Data from The Guardian shows that the UK economy is showing the first signs of recovery from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.  However, it's not all good news… Recovery will be a longer and slower process than previously anticipated.  As lockdown is starting to...

New guidance has been published by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) for local authorities to improve on the standard currently set for acoustics in new homes.  As an update to their housing standards policy playbook, they are attempting to enable cities and local...

The UK experienced one of the wettest Autumns and Winters on record and suffered extreme flooding across the whole of the country.  In November 2019, the first wave of floods hit the Humber, the East and West Midlands followed by more flooding in December and January....

Five years on from the Modern Slavery Act 2015, many people believe that slavery is no longer present in our modern working society, despite findings by the National Crime Agency that showed 7,000 victims of slavery were reported in 2018, figures that had doubled from...

Pagabo, a framework provider, has launched a ´Future of Construction´ campaign and is calling for construction companies to collaborate and work together in a bid to drive change and tackle long-standing industry issues. Executive Chairman at Pagabo, Gerard Toplass...

New guidelines from the Government have been issued so that inspectors can continue to carry out normal site inspections in a controlled manner during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) updated the application of...

More evidence that recovery is taking place is confirmation from Persimmon and Lovell that they are reopening their sites. In a market update from Persimmon, they announced plans to phase the reopening of their sites where the Construction Leadership Council´s safe...

As of Friday 24th April, over 1.6 million UK mortgage holders have been offered a payment holiday by UK lenders to reduce difficulties from the financial impact of COVID-19.  This means a suspended payment for the average mortgage holder of £755 a month. One in seven...

The largest builders merchant in the UK, Travis Perkins is to reopen more of its branches to “give greater support to large construction firms and subcontractors as they restart construction sites.” Since the start of the lockdown, Travis Perkins was operating at...

As part of the A303 improvement scheme, Highways England has shortlisted 3 submissions for the Stonehenge project.  All three submissions are international joint venture teams;  BMJV, comprising Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS and J Murphy & Sons Ltd;  HDJV,...

Small businesses can now apply to the Bounce Back Loans Scheme for a loan up to 25% of annual turnover.  Loans of up to £50,000 that are interest free for the first 12 months will be open from 4 May.  Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer said “Our smallest...

Although we presently don’t know the full impact that Covid-19 will have on the UK economy and the consequential effect on the wider property market, it is for certain that we will enter into a period of recession.  Recent weeks have seen many lenders withdraw much of...

Vistry Partnerships has announced that it has secured new housebuilding contracts with Homes England as well as eight Housing Associations.    Homes England currently has sites across the UK including Chesterfield, Birmingham, Dudley, Bridgewater, Portsmouth...

Due to a downturn in construction activity during winter and a stagnant services sector, the British economy had already taken a nosedive as GDP output declined by 0.1% in February, before the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak.  Following an increase of 0.1% for the...

Former film studios ‘Bay Studios’ which was also a former factory is to be converted into a field hospital in the fight against Covid-19.  The building, in Swansea will provide up to 850 beds in total and will be a much-welcomed addition to the growing number of field...

Joint venture organisation tRIIO, which is owned between Morrison Utility Services and Skanska UK has recently completed a major gas mains replacement at the historic Albert Court, which is of more recent years a multi-occupancy building located next to the Albert...

We are seeing the immediate drastic effects that Coronavirus is having on our industry with the IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Total Activity Index dropping to 39.3 in March from 52.6 in February.  This is in reaction to the emergency public health measures put in...

BIM is gaining traction in the construction industry and indeed over the last decade the awareness of BIM has grown rapidly.  A national BIM report carried out by NBS last year showed that general awareness and adoption of BIM has increased to around 70% which is...

Although construction in the UK is presently limited due to the coronavirus pandemic, and most construction work has ground to a halt, there will be the increasing need to test construction workers returning to site once building restrictions have been lifted and it...

Following his instatement only 15 months ago, Dave Jenkinson, CEO of Persimmon has announced he is leaving the company over quality disputes. His position came about due to a previous row about his predecessor’s £75m bonus which was slammed by many politicians as...

Bricks are one of the most staple products used in construction, but recent years have seen a decline in supply. Persimmon were even so concerned about the waiting times for the brick orders that they built their own brick factory to ensure they would not be victims...

Exoskeleton suits are gaining use in Construction. Designed as a wearable machine with motorised joints to minimise strain and injury, they also provide posture correction, support and weight disbursement whilst giving the user super human strength. Traditionally used...

The increasing usage of robots in construction originally stems from Japan in 1970’s when young workers turned resistant to manual labour in favour of less dangerous and physically demanding work. Japan had to find another solution to combat the labour shortage and...

Although slow to take off in the UK, countries such as Sweden, Germany and Japan have increased their output of modular housing in recent years. Of the 200,000 homes that are built every year in the UK, only 15,000 of them are modular. When we think about modular...

Following on the trend of converting a commercial premises to a residential property, there are now more conversions than ever before, contributed by the abundant availability of commercial properties on the market. Between 2016 – 2017, the number if these conversions...