Weekly News Bulletin – 5th October 2018

This week, Construction Enquirer reported that the Government has confirmed it is banning the use of all combustible cladding on new residential buildings over 18 metres. The proposed new building regulations will be introduced for external wall systems, banning products that include combustible materials found in some aluminium composite panel systems. With full details of the proposed ban yet to be released, we’ll keep you updated as we know more.

City Metric released an interesting thought piece which looks into why London’s construction skills shortage makes innovation more urgent than ever. We would recommend reading this article to find out more about the contributing factors to the skills shortage, such as an ageing workforce and Brexit, plus why innovation is so important at this time.

We shared news that the Government has pledged £165m to help Birmingham City Council fund the building of the 2020 Commonwealth Games athletes’ village amid fears of pressure on the Birmingham City Council budget. This support will aid the creation of 5,100 new homes, including an extra care village for older people and a community centre.

Construction News released an insightful thought piece looking at using psychological techniques to influence people’s behaviour, particularly in the construction industry to improve safety. We would recommend reading the piece to find out more about ‘nudging’, the psychological techniques used by former PM David Cameron.

In September, we also saw that construction buyers are reporting the weakest rise in output for six months. According to Construction Enquirer, civil engineering has seen the biggest impact with the commercial sub-sector feeling the effects of Brexit. Have you noticed any change in your business?

Finally, this week, it was revealed that the Government is pledging to pay small to medium-sized firms within five-days to reduce late payment which can cause multiple issues for smaller businesses. What are your opinions? Do you think longer payment terms can cripple a smaller business?

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Government bans combustible cladding above 18m
The Government has confirmed it is banning the use of all combustible cladding on new residential buildings over 18m.
http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/10/02/government-bans-combustible-cladding-above-18m/

London’s construction skills shortage makes innovation more urgent than ever
London’s construction industry is struggling to attract and retain the workers it needs. And this is a huge problem: skills shortages are driving up the high cost of building in the capital, and contributing to the poor quality of workmanship in the construction sector.
https://www.citymetric.com/fabric/london-s-construction-skills-shortage-makes-innovation-more-urgent-ever-4238

Government pledges £165m for Birmingham athletes village
The Government has agreed to stump up £165m to help Birmingham City Council fund the building of the Commonwealth Games athletes’ village.
http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/10/01/government-pledges-165m-for-birmingham-athletes-village/

Nudge in the right direction: Using psychology to boost safety
‘Nudging’ – using psychological techniques to influence people’s behaviour – was employed by former PM David Cameron and is now being applied in the construction industry. But how effective is it? Lucy Alderson takes a look.
https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/best-practice/health-and-safety/nudge-in-the-right-direction-using-psychology-to-boost-safety/10035384.article?blocktitle=Health-and-safety:-%27Nudge%27-theory&contentID=22558

Construction buyers see slowdown in growth
Construction buyers reported the weakest rise in output for six months in September.
http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/10/02/construction-buyers-see-slowdown-in-growth/

Government pledges 5-day payment for small firms
Small to medium-sized firms are being promised five-day payment terms from Government as part of a fresh push to stamp out late payment.
http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/10/04/government-pledges-5-day-payment-for-small-firms/