Master Builder Magazine: April-May 2022

Master Builder Magazine: April-May 2022

APRIL-MAY 2022 £4.25

THE MAGAZINE OF THE FEDERATION OF MASTER BUILDERS

BEACON OF LIGHT How The Lighthouse Club – the Construction Industry Charity – is supporting those in need

RETROFIT RISING Have a plan in place to ensure a successful retrofit project

FULLY CHARGED Electric vehicles and construction equipment can cut carbon emissions

STAR TREATMENT FMB member Full Works Projects gives a celebrity couple their dream home

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Contents APRIL/MAY 2022 Industry update

Features

23 Beacon of light

The Lighthouse Club – the Construction Industry Charity – supports those in need

24 Mind management

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Mental heatlh first aiders can deliver meaningful support to colleagues

5 Welcome

27 Retrofit rising

Focusing on three core areas could help to boost the industry’s success

Create a retrofit plan to maximise the effects of all energy efficiency works

7 News

31 Fully charged Electric vehicles and construction equipment can provide financial and operational benefits

The latest headlines from industry news

11 The FMB’s viewpoint

Issues affecting the sector

Your FMB

13 Innovation insights

A look at new products and services

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35 The FMB round-up

Spotlight

News, updates and announcements

38 FMB Insurance

Make sure your vehicle insurance covers all of your needs

14 Star treatment FMB member Full Works Projects give a celebrity couple in Essex their dream home 17 Sound advice Tips from members for a successful career in construction

39 Area Board and AGM updates

Find out how you can get involved with your Area Board and how to make your voice heard at the AGM 40 FMB National Conference 2022 The conference theme is ‘The Green Homes Revolution’. Meet fellow members at the conference and gala dinner 41 86% of members support licensing The FMB is calling on the Government to eradicate cowboy builders 42 Member update A list of new and expelled members 44 Member news An update from across the regions and devolved nations

Business support

18 In-house or outsource? Determine when it’s the right time to bring in support from external experts 20 Out of time Proper time management can alleviate stress while enhancing business operations 21 Keeping pace with H&S changes Ensure compliance with H&S legislation

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Master Builder has been carefully prepared but articles are published without responsibility on the part of the publishers or authors for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any view, information or advice included therin. Articles published in Master Builder do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Federation of Master Builders Ltd nor can the Federation of Master Builders Ltd, the publishers or authors accept any responsibility for any claims made by advertisers.

Editorial Editor Bradford Keen Head of marketing Danika Ferguson Senior designer David Twardawa Picture editor Jessica Marsh Publishing director Joanna Marsh

Advertising Advertising enquiries Daniel Goodwin +44 (0)20 7880 6206 [email protected]

@fmbuilders

Published by Redactive Publishing Ltd Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London, E1 8BL Tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6200 www.redactive.co.uk

Production Production manager Aysha Miah-Edwards +44 (0)20 7880 6241 [email protected]

FEDERATION OF MASTER BUILDERS David Croft House 25 Ely Place London EC1N 6TD Tel: 020 7025 2900 www.fmb.org.uk

/FederationofMasterBuilders

@federationofmasterbuilders

Recycle your magazine’s plastic wrap – check your local LDPE facilities to find out how

Printed by Warners (Midlands) 01778 391000 warners.co.uk

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Adopting the right approach for Sewage Pumping Station provision. At T-T, we trust only ourselves to deliver on what can be a very complex process. From Design to completion,

with true in house manufacturing and no sub-contracting to other. Talk to the experts.

Welcome BRIAN BERRY

E very day, two people working in the UK construction industry commit suicide. Additionally, the risk of suicide among site-based workers is three times the national average. A 2020 report by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) found that 26% of construction workers had experienced suicidal thoughts and 97% had experienced stress over the past year. Mental healthmatters Long hours and time away from home, job insecurity and lack of support from employers are all factors affecting the mental health of construction workers. With just 14% of construction jobs being held by women, it is also a male-dominated industry, and many men are still taught from an early age not to talk about their feelings or ask for help. So I’m pleased that we are putting a spotlight on Mental Health Awareness Week in May. In this edition we speak to Bill Hill, CEO of The Lighthouse Club – the Construction Industry Charity – which provides emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families. It receives no public funding and relies on donations. FMB National President Jan Etchells chose The Lighthouse Club as our national charity partner, and we are raising money for it through events such as the upcoming FMB National Conference in July (see page 40). We also explore the benefits of Mental Health First Aid training and FMB member company Greendale Construction shares its perspective on pages 24-25. Retrofit revolution With rising energy prices adding to the cost of living, now is the time to make our existing 28 million homes across the UK greener and more energy efficient. The Government’s Heat and Building Strategy sets out the approach to create greener homes but does little to incentivise homeowners. The available help is limited to installing heat pumps rather than improving the fabric of the home.

“Now is the time to make our existing 28 million homes across the UK

greener and more energy efficient”

The National Retrofit Strategy, which the FMB has been leading with backing from the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), sets out a 20-year plan to retrofit our existing homes. The Government’s inaction has prompted us to create a delivery plan to galvanise the industry and government to act. Cut VAT Finally, members know that the FMB has been calling for a cut in the rate of VAT on repairs and maintenance. It’s encouraging, then, that the MCS Charitable Foundation has published a new report, Mak ing Zero Carbon – Zero VAT, w hich argues the case to reduce the rate of VAT on energy efficiency work to 0%. The report shows that the current regulatory framework is confusing, often resulting in suppliers charging a standard rate VAT at 20%. The cost of cutting VAT to zero by the Treasury is estimated to be between £25 million and £43 million a year, which seems a good investment if it makes our homes greener and cheaper to

run. Certainly, the anticipated five million households likely to fall into fuel poverty as a result of rising energy prices would benefit. If the Government is serious about its ‘levelling up’ agenda this is one policy that needs implementing, and as soon as possible!

BRIAN BERRY, Chief Executive of the FMB

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INDUSTRY UPDATE NEWS News CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NEWS

CITB fund upskills 20,000 The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)’s Construction Skills Fund (CSF) has helped 20,000 people become site-ready, with 54% coming from groups under- represented in the industry. The scheme, which has had two phases, has been delivered on behalf of the Department for Education (DFE). The second phase ran between March 2020 and September 2021 at 14 CSF hubs across England, and accounts for 6,000 of the overall 20,000 who have completed training. Additionally, 2,934 people trained in the latest phase have found sustainable employment. CITB’s Strategy and Policy Director Steve Radley said the training was a success, having exceeded targets of attracting new people to the industry. “We were looking at 15% coming in from outside the industry to learn site skills, instead this was 46%.” The boost comes, in part, from people made redundant during the lockdowns seeking new roles. The DFE project has come to an end so CITB has established a network of 13 Onsite Experience hubs in England and Wales, with plans to expand into Scotland.

Prioritise retrofit, says BESA W ith energy price hikes putting pressure on households’ finances, the Building Engineering on families and businesses who are currently relying on cheap credit to

keep their heads above water.” BESA has expressed approval of a new report from the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) Select Committee and calls on the Government to: Focus on decarbonising heating; Implement a replacement of the Green Homes Grant scheme to be managed by regional and local governments; Create a national consumer awareness campaign on the importance of energy efficiency measures; and Launch the Future Homes Standard by 2023 – two years sooner than currently planned. “We must work together to develop a national low carbon heating training programme to ensure we have the skills to deliver solutions on a scale that can both help tackle climate change and give consumers protection from rising bills,” said Fox. The FMB has also been leading the call for a National Retrofit Strategy. Find out more at tinyurl.com/FMB-NRS.

Services Association (BESA) said it’s time to prioritise a national programme of building retrofits. “Millions of people are now facing real hardship as a result of the soaring cost of gas and electricity, but we do not have a comprehensive plan for addressing a major contributory factor – the poor energy efficiency of our buildings,” said BESA’s Head of Technical Graeme Fox, adding that the UK can “fix energy efficiency relatively quickly and cost-effectively through renovation and refurbishment”. Ofgem predicts a £700 increase in the average energy bill for 18 million households from April. The Government has spoken about council tax rebates and discount schemes. However, Fox said: “We are also in an artificial position because interest rates have been low for so long. The Bank of England has just nudged them up by another 0.25% and they are likely to rise again soon. This, along with higher inflation, will put further pressure

Find out more about at tinyurl.com/CITB-exhubs.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE NEWS

NEWS IN NUMBERS

Construction must change its recruitment strategy

4.3% The percentage of growth in construction output predicted for 2022. Source: Construction Products Association (CPA)

Nevertheless, the labour market is competitive and only 2% of those outside construction want to work in the industry. Just 14% of the workforce are women and 6% are ethnic minorities. A culture change is needed to make the industry more accessible and opportunities more visible. Steve Radley, Strategy and Policy Director at CITB, said: “Construction has massive strengths such as the ability to make a positive impact, including its contribution to Net Zero. And it scores highly on the variety of work and the opportunity to specialise, become an expert and progress your career. “Construction’s challenge is to bring the knowledge and understanding of insiders to those outside of the industry and to celebrate what is good about it. We need to fire up their enthusiasm and make it the career of choice for thousands more potential new workers.”

£3.5bn The cost of lost earnings for UK tradespeople due to ongoing supplies shortage. Source: Insurance provider Simply Business

T he good news is that the construction industry could improve its appeal to job seekers if it better aligns its recruitment approach with values in which it scores well. Rethinking Recruitment research from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) shows that values such as stability and security, variety, having a positive impact, and being able to specialise are strong in construction and appealing to the labour market.

1.3m homes have been built since 2010. In contrast, three million houses were built in the 1960s. Source: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Read the Rethinking Recruitment report at tinyurl.com/CITB-Rethink.

Fresh face at housing ministry Stuart Andrew is the new Minister of State for Housing at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities. Andrew takes over from Chris Pincher, who, in turn, will move into Andrew’s former role as Deputy Chief Whip. FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry said: “The appointment of Stuart Andrew MP as the new housing minister comes at a crucial time for the industry. He has a mandate to deliver 300,000 homes but inherits a declining sector of SME builders to support this. “I look forward to working constructively with the new minister to deliver a much-needed boost for small, local house builders. This will not only help plug the gap in housing stock, but will also play a vital role in levelling up the country, as who better to enable this than small, community-centric builders.”

15.7% The increase in volumes of primary aggregates in 2021, with 14.1% for ready-mixed concrete, 12.5% for asphalt and 24.4% for mortar. Source: Mineral Products Association (MPA)

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NEWS

Local authorities are spending more on construction

D espite COVID, local authorities are spending more on construction projects now than they did five years ago. Local authorities spent around £100 million more on construction in 2020/21 than in 2015/16, with an average spend of £28 million per local authority. Some councils have increased their spend by more than 5,000% over five years. The >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52

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