London is one of the busiest cities in the world. With a population of almost 9 million and an annual tourist influx of almost 32 million, it’s safe to say that the Big Smoke’s airports, which include Heathrow, Luton, Stansted and Gatwick, are a never ending hive of activity. And
Running a construction business normally means overseeing the operation of a range of different vehicles. From vans to construction equipment, there is a lot to keep track of, maintenance, insurance, logistics, there’s a lot of moving parts to keeping a construction fleet moving. In some instances, especially in smaller companies,
London is one of the busiest cities in the world. With a population of almost 9 million and an annual tourist influx of almost 32 million, it’s safe to say that the Big Smoke’s airports, which include Heathrow, Luton, Stansted and Gatwick, are a never ending hive of activity. And these record numbers show no signs of slowing down. In fact, they’re increasing. A swelling population as well as sharp increases in tourism mean that London will struggle to meet the transport demands in regards to the number of people it can fly in and out of the city. While this is great news for the economy, it’s put a massive strain on the airports, runways and airlines that struggle to keep up with the constant demand placed on their services. To solve the issue two solutions were proposed: the construction of a third runway at Heathrow, or a complete expansion at Gatwick. And while the contract was ultimately awarded to Heathrow, is this really the right choice? Gatwick – the argument Ferrying over 44 million passengers per year, Gatwick is the UK’s second busiest airport behind Heathrow. It lies 40 kilometres from the centre of London, making it ideal for commuting quickly while still being far enough away to avoid excessive air pollution within city limits. In addition to commercial flights, there are also a fair number of charter flights from Gatwick, particularly with the rising popularity of specialised booking services. The argument for expanding the terminal is that by doing so, due to the merit of its location, London would be spared excessive noise pollution and help to ease some of the pressures that currently weigh on Heathrow. They argue that by building an extra runway at Heathrow instead, an estimated 130,000 planes will be flown over London, resulting in a massive amount of noise pollution. Heathrow – the right move? The plan to build a third runway at Heathrow is estimated to cost just shy of £18 billion and expected to be operational by 2026. Although this seems like a lot of money, it’s been proposed as the most cost effective option for accommodating the large number of expected incoming passengers in the future. It’s a small price to pay for what will supposedly bring economic benefits of up to £61 billion. However, the plan to build at Heathrow has come under harsh criticism especially where air pollution is concerned. The primary concern is that the quality of air around Heathrow is below the EU’s current health standards and will only continue to get worse if a third runway is constructed. Heathrow maintains that it has taken steps to mitigate the pollution and that its third runway will be within the parameters that the EU has set. The government has also promised to adhere to strict noise targets by encouraging the use of quieter planes as well as stricter adherence to a flight timetable to allow residents to enjoy noise breaks. Nevertheless, the public will have to wait until the runway is completely operational to determine, once and for all, if choosing to build at Heathrow was indeed the smart choice.
Running a construction business normally means overseeing the operation of a range of different vehicles. From vans to construction equipment, there is a lot to keep track of, maintenance, insurance, logistics, there’s a lot of moving parts to keeping a construction fleet moving. In some instances, especially in smaller companies, this might become overwhelming and eat in a large amount of time and budget that could be better spent elsewhere in the business. Fleet cards are a fantastic way to help monitor the fuel consumption of your business vehicles and also take a lot of the admin burden that comes with keeping a fleet moving. But what are the other benefits to construction companies? Savings on fuel Fuel cards, such as those provided through FSB, are designed to help businesses simplify the whole process of keeping their vehicles fuelled and running on the roads. In some cases, these cards also provide businesses with a discount on fuel purchases. The saving tends to be a few pence per litre of fuel. However, when you consider the size of construction vehicles or the mileage covered by vans for tradesmen the savings over time could be considerable. This could then give you more budget to reinvest into your business, potentially on new equipment or training to add a new service or skill. Simplified management Normally anyone buying fuel for a business vehicle would need to retain the receipts, hand them in and have the receipt be added to other receipts to work out your total fuel costs for the month. A fuel card essentially removes the needs to do this, as purchases using the cards can be tracked through an online system. This allows you to see how much is being spent on fuel, and which drivers are spending the most. This can help to identify if vehicles are being used for more that the needs of your business, and also track any vehicles that might be fuel inefficient and in need of servicing. This can help you to ensure you fleet of vehicles is operating at its most efficient, helping you to continue to make savings on your fuel usage by having vehicles which operate more effectively. Centralised admin As a business you can use the fuel of your vehicles as a deductible on your tax. Simplifying the process of invoicing your VAT can save you time and effort, giving you more opportunity to focus on your business instead of excessive admin. In a larger construction business with lots of moving logistical parts the time that simplified admin can save is huge. Managing accounts and tracking expenses and fuel invoices on a centralised system instead of carrying out much of the administrative work manually can help businesses to refocus on other areas. Potentially allowing them to streamline and improve other admin tasks such as payroll or invoicing due to the extra time they have. Taking the time as a business to find ways to simplify processes and reduce admin is crucial, regardless of what sector you’re in. You may find that simplified processes mean additional savings, as well as increased productivity from staff due to a decrease in the amount of processes and admin tasks that they need to carry out. This gives your business more time to focus on providing a quality service to your customers and delivering projects on time.