Master Builder Magazine: October-November 2021

Master Builder Magazine: October-November 2021

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021 £4.25

THE MAGAZINE OF THE FEDERATION OF MASTER BUILDERS

PERFECT PROJECTS

PROTECT YOUR TOOLS FMB Insurance offers advice to speed up your claims SEARCH FOR SKILLS Members struggle to find experienced tradespeople SNAP GREAT PHOTOS Practical tips for taking better building pictures

Join us in celebrating the award-winning projects and people from the 2021 national Master Builder Awards

Stonewood Builders Ltd is the overall winner of the 2021 Master Builder Awards

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Contents OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 Industry update

Features

21 The future of retrofit

The FMB and CREDS have published an important report on the current state of the retrofit sector and how it can be improved

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23 Best of the best

Meet all of the award-winning people and projects from the national 2021 Master Builder Awards

7 Welcome

For 80 years the FMB has been providing a voice for, and support to, our country’s builders

37 High praise

Four standout submissions to the 2021 Master Builder Awards earned the title of highly commended

8 News

The latest headlines from industry news

13 FMB turns 80

39 Supporting the industry A special thank you to our national sponsors for helping us celebrate quality construction

Long-standing FMB members look back at the FMB’s major achievements and share their hopes for the future

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Your FMB

Spotlight

41 FMB Member Referral Scheme Invite fellow quality builders to the FMB and receive a discount on your membership 42 State of Trade Read members’ views in the State of Trade Survey and learn how the FMB is helping to tackle the industry’s skills shortage 45 The FMB’s viewpoint The FMB’s viewpoint on issues affecting the UK construction sector 47 Tips on making a claim Tool theft affects many builders so be sure to insure your important equipment 48 Member update A list of new and expelled members 50 Member news An update from across the regions and devolved nations

15 From hops to home

FMB member Bridgehurst Builders converted an old oast house into a modern extension for a contemporary home 17 The search for skills Finding good quality tradespeople is a difficult task and seems to be getting harder, but what can FMB members do to ensure they source the right people for the job?

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Business support

18 Picture this

FMB member Wightman Build Ltd shares their photography tips for high-quality project pictures that showcase your work and provide you with marketing material

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 Gene Cornelius Picture editor Jessica Marsh Publishing director Joanna Marsh

Advertising Advertising manager Paul Gabriel +44 (0)20 7025 2900 [email protected]

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

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Welcome BRIAN BERRY T his October and November, the landmark United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) will take place in Glasgow. The conference marks

“For 80 years the FMB has been providing a voice for, and support to, our country’s builders”

members to do the work! The growing skills shortages in all the trades has been increasing throughout the year as evidenced in the results of our quarterly State of Trade Survey (see page 42- 43). The fall in apprenticeships this year hasn’t helped, which makes it even more important that the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) working with industry tackles this growing issue. Equally pressing is the ongoing materials shortage. We know the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and growing global demand are contributing to this problem, but for FMB members, it’s about securing access, which is why we continue to press the need for support through the CLC and government channels. Given the current uncertainties it has never been a better time to be a member of the FMB. For 80 years the FMB has been providing a voice for, and support to, our country’s builders spanning the rebuild of London after the 1941 Blitz to the demands of today to create greener buildings. The winners of this year’s national Master Builder Awards ceremony (see pages 23-35) show what FMB members are creating to make the UK a better place to live and work in. Alongside this our latest Member Referral Scheme

an opportunity for the UK Government to take centre stage to demonstrate its commitment to tackling climate change. For the FMB and the construction industry it’s also an opportunity to flag our long- standing call to the UK Government to commit to a long-term strategy to make our existing 29 million homes greener and more energy efficient. For too long we have had a piecemeal approach, as demonstrated by the failed Green Deal and Green Homes Grant Scheme, which have undermined both industry and consumer confidence. The FMB, through the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), has over the last year been taking the lead to call for the creation of a National Retrofit Strategy (NRS). The NRS sets out a 20-year plan to upgrade our existing homes. The NRS also recognises the complexity of creating consumer confidence, training the workforce, and ensuring high standards and, therefore, calls for the creation of a new hub or agency to pull it all together. The benefits would be the creation of 100,000 new jobs over the next four years alone and a saving to the NHS of £1.4 billion. You can read more on page 21 about what the FMB is doing to promote the creation of a retrofit market with small and medium-sized builders at its centre. Our recent report , Building On Our Strengths , sets out a range of measures to help transform the retrofit market including the introduction of a licence to trade, the creation of building passports, and a VAT cut on all home improvement works to 5%. Of course, this all assumes we will have the labour and the materials for

initiative (see page 41) outlines how you can help expand the FMB to make it an even stronger organisation. We are only as strong as our members so let’s all take pride in what has been achieved over the decades and set our ambitions even higher for a greener country built and maintained by Master Builder companies.

BRIAN BERRY, Chief Executive of the FMB

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INDUSTRY UPDATE NEWS

News CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NEWS D espite positive growth for the construction industry, particularly in the private residential sector, challenges such as materials shortages and rising costs abound. A Q2 survey by the

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows that construction growth is putting pressure on supply chains. Half of the respondents in the RICS UK Construction & Infrastructure Survey reported an increase in activity in the private residential sector in Q2, up by 11% in Q1 – and the highest in the past six years. Close to 40% of respondents reported increased workloads in Q2 of this year, but they also noted challenges with staff shortages and rising materials costs. RICS said that the cost of materials is likely to rise by around 10% in the next year, which places it ahead of the 7% growth anticipated for tender prices. As many as 64% of respondents predict that labour shortages will inhibit work activity, with bricklayers seemingly most in demand. Shortages of bricklayers have climbed to 58% in Q2, up by 24% since Q1. Carpenters follow closely behind, with a 55% shortage. RICS Chief Economist Simon Rubinsohn said: “Infrastructure and private housebuilding are viewed as likely to remain the most buoyant areas of the industry. Yet it is abundantly clear that a couple of issues present big challenges. Most notably at this point, the availability of building materials stands out as a key problem for respondents to the RICS survey.” The FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q2 2021 revealed similar results (see page 42-43). FMB members can keep on top of materials pricing and availability by following FMB guidance and updates at tinyurl.com/FMB-support.

Expect a 10% hike in materials, says RICS

Self and custom build is ‘a missing market’, says review

Right to Build; Support community-led housing, diversity of supply and levelling up; Promote greener homes and increased use of advanced manufacturing; Support custom and self build house building through planning reforms; and Iron out tax discrepancies. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/ Bacon-Review.

benefits of a customer-led approach to house building, and that custom and self build leads to greater use of modern methods of construction and greener technologies. Bacon made six key recommendations in his report: Greater role for Homes England; Raise awareness of the

The National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) has praised a new report from the UK Government declaring custom and self build a “missing market”. The report from Richard Bacon, MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Self-Build, Custom and Community Housebuilding and Place-Making, noted the

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Upcoming tax changes will benefit self-employed and small businesses through simpler tax reporting and will make it harder to avoid paying tax. The changes, which will come into force by 2023, will mean businesses will be taxed on profits arising in a tax year, rather than profits of accounts ending in the tax year. This should mean less time filing taxes and aligning taxation of self-employed and other forms of income, such as property and investment income. Under the current system, tax returns filed by the self-employed, sole traders, and partnerships are based on the accounts of a business ending in the tax year (5 April). The Treasury said that other complex rules apply when a business starts and draws up its accounts to a date different to the end of the tax year. For example, taxpayers paying tax for their first tax year on the period to the end of the tax year, and then in subsequent years on the basis of their full accounting year. The profits are taxed twice and complex rules apply to relieve the double taxation when the business finishes. The new system is easier to understand and will prevent errors, the Treasury added. Simpler tax reporting to come in 2023

I n an open letter to the UK construction industry, Andy Mitchell, Co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), has commented on the challenges with the cost and availability of labour and materials. Mitchell wrote that the construction industry can be proud of the role it played in the UK’s economic recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, overcoming many challenges such as site closures, reduced productivity and increased costs of compliance. However, there are hurdles to be overcome, particularly concerning the availability and pricing of labour and materials. Mitchell cited the following reasons for the materials crisis: Rising freight costs, container availability and global transportation issues; Short supply of global raw materials; xxxxx Adapt contract clauses now, says CLC

Lack of haulier staff and capacity; Moving from CE to UKCA marking with limited product testing capacity; The new cross-border systems; and New EU-related immigration rules. The CLC says to make provisions for shortages in existing and new contracts, and to take a collaborative approach to manage risks such as “allowing longer mobilisation and lead-in periods for contracts and including up-front ordering and payment to suppliers in order to secure manufacture and delivery slots for critical material resources”. The FMB forms part of the CLC Products Availability Group, which brings together representatives of builders, merchants and manufacturers to share information. Members can keep up to date by following FMB guidance at tinyurl.com/FMB-support.

Strength in RMI sector, says CPA

The positive recovery in UK construction and elsewhere has meant steep rises in costs and lead times for key products including paints and varnishes, timber, roofing materials, copper and steel. CPA Economics Director Noble Francis said this disproportionately

The repair, maintenance and improvements (RPI) sector for private housing has shown the quickest recovery in the construction industry since the initial lockdown, according to the Construction Products Association (CPA) summer forecast. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) records a 19.3% higher output in March 2021 than in pre-COVID times. The growth has been attributed to increased demand for high-quality outdoor domestic leisure space and home office work environments.

affects small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as they often

purchase necessary supplies on the day at builders’ merchants. The effects are more severe for them in times of limited supply and increased costs, particularly when working on fixed-price contracts.

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INDUSTRY UPDATE NEWS

NEWS IN NUMBERS

13.7%

The increase in construction output in 2021 , with a further 6.3% expected in 2022. Source: Construction Products Association (CPA) 20.9% projects in 2021 , with a further 9% expected in 2022. Source: CPA £68.8bn The expected rise in new house building

T he Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched two new web apps to simplify the extension application process for homeowners. The apps will also help homeowners and developers check whether their planning applications can be quickly approved. The apps are part of the Government’s aim to digitise the planning system to save time and money for developers, architects and homeowners. The homeowner app, called Reducing Invalid Planning Applications (RIPA), uses simple language and diagrams to help navigate the system. It asks questions and determines whether the plans meet local and national requirements. Users can apply within the app for a certificate to show their plans are permitted development, allowing building to go ahead. A second app called Back office Planning System (BoPS) will help council planning officials manage permitted development applications, focusing on >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 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60

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