The Week That Was - 27 September 2024

Welcome to the week that was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.

Construction Leadership Council issues statement following ISG's administration

Following the news of ISG's administration, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) convened a meeting with the Department for Business and Trade and key bodies in the construction sector to discuss the impact on the industry and how it should respond.  On 20 September 2024, the CLC issued a statement expressing sympathy with everyone affected.  The CLC is compiling detailed guidance for those impacted.  In the meantime, the CLC advises the industry to keep impact management within the terms of existing contracts and pay suppliers promptly where possible.  Businesses in particular financial distress should contact their relevant industry body. 

To read CLC's statement in full, click here.

BSI publishes new guidance to help reduce concrete carbon emissions

To assist with the transition towards achieving the Net Zero 2050 target, the British Standards Institution (BSI) has published new guidance to help reduce concrete carbon emissions in the construction industry.  The BSI Flex 350 v2.0 provides a recommended framework for assessing the appropriateness of Alternative Binder Systems (ABS) as lower-carbon concrete alternatives in the UK.  The aim is to help engineers and designers recommend and specify lower-carbon technologies in construction projects by providing the background and properties of typical ABS, recommendations on testing and monitoring, explanations, guidance and suggestions.

You can read more here.

Balfour Beatty Fined after Fatal Lift Fall

Balfour Beatty has been fined for breaching lifting safety rules after workers fell from a scissor lift in January 2020 whilst installing cladding at the University of Birmingham’s National Buried Infrastructure Facility.  This resulted from a nearby gantry crane toppling on to the lift on which they stood.

Two of Balfour Beatty's employees fell, one unfortunately suffering fatal injuries. The other sustained spinal injuries and broken ribs, leaving him in a neck brace for seven weeks and needing pins in his pelvis and thigh.

An HSE investigation found that the fall could have been prevented had there been better communication between the crane operators and cladding, which the inspector ruled Balfour Beatty had a duty to ensure.  They also noted that no lift supervisor was present when the accident took place.

The firm received a £285,000 fine at Birmingham Crown Court on 16 September 2024, having pleaded guilty to breaching lifting safety regulations. They were also ordered to pay £21,769 in costs.

You can read more here.

Government Consults Architects on Retrofit 

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) is asking architects and others in the industry for their advice on whether changes should be made to national planning rules around the re-use of existing buildings, otherwise known as retrofitting.  The MHCLG is looking to uncover views from a range of experts and sectors on the factors that influence decision-making in planning and potential changes to national planning policy and guidance.

One of the main aims of retrofitting is to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint through the adoption of circular economy principles, as opposed to demolition.

Answers are anonymous. The survey is open until 31 October 2024.  

You can read more here, and access the survey here.

Government to Consult on a new Decent Homes Standard for social and rented housing

The MHCLG has also announced a government plan to consult on a new Decent Homes Standard for rented sectors. 

This consultation will consider a variety of changes to social housing and privately rented properties in a bid to ensure that safe and secure housing becomes the expected standard. Such measures will include:

1. Introducing new access to information requirements for housing associations, so that tenants can hold their landlords to account and drive up the quality of housing and services they provide.
   
   
2. Introducing a Competence and Conduct standard for the social rented sector to ensure staff have the right skills, behaviours and experience to carry out their roles.
   
   
3. Expedite the legislation for Awaab's Law to Autumn. This will establish timescales for social housing landlords to investigate and remedy hazards such as damp and mould. The government will introduce similar protections to the private sector through the Renters' Rights Bill. 

You can read more here.

Homes England announce £210 million pipeline 

Homes England, the government's housing and regeneration agency, has published a pipeline of infrastructure contracts with a value exceeding £210 million. This is the first pipeline to be released under the Labour government in a bid to combat the national shortage of housing. 

The pipeline sets out 14 projects to commence between November 2024 and January 2026, with values ranging from £2 million to £52 million and averaging £15 million. 

Notably, the projects include the construction of 5,000 new homes, three primary schools and surrounding parks and infrastructure in Northstowe.

You can read more here.


Disclaimer: The information in this publication is for guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  We attempt to ensure that the content is current as at the date of publication, but we do not guarantee that it remains up to date.  You should seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content.

Authors: Jess Yates, Chris Wilkie, Victoria Sessions