Plans for a new £25 million rail station in West Yorkshire are making significant progress, with completion expected by late 2026. Survey work is currently underway to finalise detailed designs for the long-awaited Elland Rail Station. Contractor Keltbray Infrastructure Services Limited is aiming to complete the final stages of development
With Christmas fast approaching, staff, contacts and friends of the Cruden Group have come together to gather much-needed donations for local communities in Scotland. For the fourth year, the award-winning housebuilder has been encouraging those across its central belt operations to spread some joy by gifting food items and cash
Bouygues UK, the lead contractor for the first phase of Westminster City Council’s flagship Ebury Bridge regeneration scheme, has completed and handed over the project. This significant milestone marks the delivery of 226 new homes, including 100 high-quality council homes, 16 returning leasehold homes, and 110 homes for market sale.
A team of 90 specialist engineers have completed the assembly of HS2’s giant tunnel boring machine (TBM) which will start digging the second bore of the 3.5 mile Bromford Tunnel into Birmingham next year. In an assembly operation to move sections of the machine into a 12-metre deep launch pit,
Despite the significant rise in the profile of artificial intelligence (AI), the UK’s Construction SMEs are largely undecided about the impact it will have on their business, sector and jobs. The findings are taken from the latest independent research* from Close Brothers Asset Finance and Leasing. Nearly six in 10
Striking mirrored design combined with illuminated panel and five-spray handset delivers a luxurious experience from an electric shower Bathroom specialist Aqualisa has announced Lumi+™: a stunning new series of premium electric showers that combine sophistication and performance. Available in three power options (8.5kW, 9.5kW or 10.5kW), the Lumi+ electric shower features a
McLaughlin & Harvey picked up three awards at the Considerate Constructors Scheme’s 2023 Leading Lights Awards. The awards, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 27 November, recognise sites, organisations and individuals who have gone above and beyond the Code of Considerate Practice in the areas of Community,
More than half of SME builders reported the planning system as their biggest barrier to delivering new homes, according to the Federation of Master Builders, FMB, annual survey. Respondents cited ‘inadequate resourcing’ of planning departments as the main reason for delays in applications followed by poor communication. FMB chief executive
The Access Industry Forum, the forum that represents the principal work at height trade associations and federations, is calling for clearer reporting of workplace accidents in a bid to save lives. As newly released Health & Safety Executive (HSE) statistics show another year of little improvement in workplace falls from
Building work is underway on a new £20m development of affordable housing with low-carbon heating systems in Cheltenham. Housing association Bromford has started construction of 71 new homes on a brownfield site on Village Road in the town. The four-acre site is the former home of the Douglas Equipment factory
Plans for a new £25 million rail station in West Yorkshire are making significant progress, with completion expected by late 2026. Survey work is currently underway to finalise detailed designs for the long-awaited Elland Rail Station. Contractor Keltbray Infrastructure Services Limited is aiming to complete the final stages of development work by summer 2024. Following this, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority will review a full business case for the station, moving the project closer to construction. The initiative is a collaboration between the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale Council. The council is nearing completion of designs for ambitious access routes, which include two new pedestrian and cycling bridges. A key milestone was recently achieved with the council’s approval of a planning application for the station’s access infrastructure. Tenders for the final design phase of the access package were submitted last month, and the council is now in the process of selecting a contractor. The new station, set to be a valuable addition to the Calder Valley line, will strengthen Elland’s transport links to key regional hubs, including Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford, and Manchester. This transformative project is expected to deliver improved connectivity for the town, fostering economic growth and offering enhanced travel options for residents and visitors alike. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
With Christmas fast approaching, staff, contacts and friends of the Cruden Group have come together to gather much-needed donations for local communities in Scotland. For the fourth year, the award-winning housebuilder has been encouraging those across its central belt operations to spread some joy by gifting food items and cash donations for those who need a little extra help this festive period. In partnership with UK charity, The Trussell Trust, a total of 8,000 food and household items were collected and distributed to six food banks across Airdrie, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Gorebridge and Glasgow last week. Cruden’s winter appeal has also raised a fantastic cash donation of almost £11,000 for The Trussell Trust, which will be used to purchase more day-to-day necessities for vulnerable people. £5000 of the total amount raised has been donated by Cruden’s linked charitable trust, The Cruden Foundation. Colin Kennedy, Construction Director of Cruden, said: “Bringing our team together to support local people has once again brought a heartwarming end to the year. We’re proud to be working with The Trussell Trust for the fourth consecutive year to give back to our communities. “Despite challenging conditions for everyone, our food bank appeal has received an overwhelmingly generous level of support and we’re extremely grateful to everyone who has shown their kindness and donated. The solidarity of our staff and valued contacts, and their dedication to helping others, never ceases to amaze me. We’ve achieved our best results yet and I hope our donations help bring a smile to many local faces this year .” Emma Revie, Chief Executive at the Trussell Trust said: “Thank you to the team at Cruden Group for their incredible support. This winter is expected to be the toughest yet, with food banks in our network distributing more than 1 million parcels between December and February which equates to one every eight seconds. Food bank teams are working tirelessly to ensure help continues to be available, but ultimately, no-one in the UK should need to turn to a food bank as all of us should have enough money for the essentials. “The support of Cruden Group will help food banks within our network continue to provide emergency support, while we work together in the long term to build a country without the need for food banks. Thank you so much.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bouygues UK, the lead contractor for the first phase of Westminster City Council’s flagship Ebury Bridge regeneration scheme, has completed and handed over the project. This significant milestone marks the delivery of 226 new homes, including 100 high-quality council homes, 16 returning leasehold homes, and 110 homes for market sale. This achievement represents the largest delivery of new council homes in South Westminster for the past 50 years. Recognised for high levels of energy efficiency and rated as BREEAM Outstanding, all homes will be heated and cooled by a ground source heat pump, using warm water from 130 metres underground. Low carbon heating and cooling systems, greywater recycling, and blue roofs will support high-performing homes in a low carbon neighbourhood. Fabienne Viala, Chair and CEO of Bouygues UK, said, “We are thrilled to have completed the first phase of the largest delivery of new affordable homes in South Westminster in partnership with Westminster City Council. I am incredibly proud of our team, led by Peter Doherty, for their dedication and hard work in bringing this project to fruition. Our collaboration with the Ebury Bridge Estate community has resulted in sustainable benefits for all residents and workers and highlights our unwavering commitment to social value.” Bouygues UK’s contributions include donating around £120,000 to local community projects and contributing over 1,000 volunteer hours to various initiatives, such as the Abbey Centre, Construction Youth Trust, Women into Construction, and Social Bite. The site team has supported career sessions, work experience placements, provided educational support for residents and schools, and welcomed five apprentices from nearby London boroughs. They have provided 85 weeks of work placements, offered over 50 hours of expert support to small businesses and organisations in the borough, as well as providing sponsorship to assist parents with childcare. Westminster City Council has committed to bringing about new community-centred redevelopment in one of the UK’s most exclusive postcodes. As part of this commitment, 90 families will be moving into their new homes at Ebury Bridge over the coming weeks. The completion of this phase is a demonstration of the Council’s dedication to a Fairer Westminster, with all existing residents having the right to return. Councillor Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters at Westminster City Council, said, “This is the start of a new chapter for Ebury Bridge. The completion of the first phase of this scheme, which sees over 200 homes built, half of which are new council homes, showcases our commitment to building more truly affordable homes that are high-quality and fit for purpose in our community and demonstrates that we’re delivering on our Fairer Housing commitments for the residents of Westminster. “The completion of the first phase of Ebury is culmination of our efforts to achieve a Fairer Westminster. This phase not only sees the first residents move back into their new homes, but it will see new community facilities, play spaces and improved living standards. “I’m delighted for our residents who have waited for their new homes to be ready. The mixture of the original community and the new families and individuals moving to the neighbourhood will make Ebury a thriving, vibrant place that people want to visit. We’re proud of what has been achieved at Ebury and it sets a high bar for regeneration schemes across the country.” Phase one of the scheme aimed to set a new standard for mixed tenure neighbourhoods with a single estate management service across all buildings. In total, the Ebury Bridge project will deliver 781 high-quality and sustainable homes across three phases, with more than half set to be new or replacement council homes for social rent. Located in Knightsbridge and Belgravia, Ebury Bridge is one of Westminster City Council’s flagship regeneration projects rejuvenating an existing 1930s estate and transforming it into a sustainable modern neighbourhood. The scheme has already been recognised as a leading example of modern, sustainable, council housebuilding, receiving top prize at the Planning Awards 2023, the Best Community Engagement Outcomes, and the Mayor’s Prize for Good Growth at the Building London Planning awards. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A team of 90 specialist engineers have completed the assembly of HS2’s giant tunnel boring machine (TBM) which will start digging the second bore of the 3.5 mile Bromford Tunnel into Birmingham next year. In an assembly operation to move sections of the machine into a 12-metre deep launch pit, two 600 tonne cranes lifted the huge 125 tonne cutterhead into place at the front of the 125 metre long machine in the pit bottom. The first TBM, named ‘Mary Ann’ after Mary Ann Evans – the real name of Victorian writer George Eliot who was born in Nuneaton – started digging the first bore from the east portal site near Water Orton in August this year. It has already built more than 500 tunnel rings, which is 0.6 miles of the 3.5 mile long tunnel between North Warwickshire and Washwood Heath in Birmingham. The name of the second TBM will be revealed before it launches in Spring next year. ‘Mary Ann’ is set to break through at the end of 2024, with the second TBM planned to complete its journey in the middle of 2025. Both TBMs will remove 1.87 million tonnes of excavated material, which will be sifted at the on-site slurry treatment plant and reused on HS2’s nearby sites at Delta Junction, where a complex network of nine viaducts is being built. HS2’s Senior Project Manager Catherine Loveridge said: “With the first TBM ‘Mary Ann’ well on her way building the tunnel to take high speed trains into central Birmingham’s Curzon Street Station, it’s fantastic to see the second TBM assembled and being prepared to start digging. “We’re now at peak construction, with over 9,750 people working on HS2 in the West Midlands and around 450 people working on this site, including many from the local area. Launching the second TBM next year means there will be more exciting jobs up for grabs for local people.” The majority of the second TBM, including the gantries and the centre part of the cutterhead, have been re-used from TBM ‘Dorothy’ after completing the one-mile twin bore Long Itchington Wood Tunnel in Warwickshire earlier this year. Disassembled sections of ‘Dorothy’ have been moved to the Bromford Tunnel portal site near Water Orton over the last few months, where they have been lowered and reassembled into the underground launch area. At 8.62 metres in diameter, the Bromford Tunnel is smaller than the 10 metre diameter Long Itchington Wood Tunnel because trains will be travelling slower on the approach into Birmingham Curzon Street Station. For this reason, the TBM needed a new outer part cutterhead and a new shield, which were manufactured by Herrenknecht in Germany. The full Bromford Tunnel programme is being delivered by around 450 people working for HS2’s contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV). A specialist tunnelling team, including apprentices working for BBV’s sub-contractor Tunnelcraft will operate the TBM 24/7, with each bore taking around 16 months. Jules Arlaud, Tunnelling Director for Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “Completing the assembly of the second tunnel boring machine is another major achievement for the team working on HS2’s Bromford Tunnel – a complex section of the new high-speed railway. “Getting to this stage has required a huge amount of planning and preparation, including the disassembly and transportation of ‘Dorothy’ parts from Warwickshire, which forms the majority of the second TBM. “Over the next few months, the team will be busy testing, checking and carrying out the final preparations, to make sure the machine is ready to start digging in spring next year.” The Bromford Tunnel programme includes designers from Balfour Beatty VINCI’s Design Joint Venture, made up of Mott MacDonald and SYSTRA (MMSDJV). Rosa Diez, Tunnels Discipline Lead for MMSDJV: “Seeing the second TBM in position, ready to start, is a proud moment for our tunnelling team. We have learnt so much from the excavation of the Long Itchington Tunnel by our ‘Dorothy’ TBM, which has helped get ‘Mary Ann’ well on her way through the Mercia Mudstone in the Bromford Tunnel. The learning will continue for this second TBM, which once named and launched next year, will also become part of our family”. A total of 41,594 concrete segments will create 5,942 rings to make the twin bore tunnel, with each ring weighing 49 tonnes. The segments are being produced at Balfour Beatty VINCI’s pre-cast factory at Avonmouth near Bristol. In the concrete mix used at the factory 40% of the cement is replaced with Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) which has a much lower carbon footprint than traditional cement. 3D scanning is used in the production process of the segments to guarantee accuracy. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Despite the significant rise in the profile of artificial intelligence (AI), the UK’s Construction SMEs are largely undecided about the impact it will have on their business, sector and jobs. The findings are taken from the latest independent research* from Close Brothers Asset Finance and Leasing. Nearly six in 10 (56%) of respondents are of the view that AI will have a bearing on their business, but are undecided about the scale, with 21% (UK average: 20%) thinking it will have a large impact compared to 16% (UK average: 9%) who say it won’t have any measurable impact. Q: How much of an impact, if any at all, do you think the increasing presence of artificial intelligence will have on your business? A large impact 21% Some impact 35% Not much of an impact 23% No impact at all 16% Unsure 4% Business owners are split about whether to incorporate AI into their business processes, with 39% (UK average: 41%) saying they will against 47% (UK average: 40%) who have no intention of doing so. The remaining 15% (UK average: 19%) haven’t yet made up their minds. The key question about potential job losses brought about by AI also divided the crowd, with 43% (UK average: 42%) saying AI will lead to large scale job losses in their sector; 45% (UK average: 43%) are of the opposite view while 12% (UK average: 15%) are unsure: Yes No Unsure UK total 42% 43% 15% Manufacturing & Engineering 42% 43% 15% Food and Drink 42% 40% 18% Construction 43% 45% 12% Print and Packaging 52% 40% 8% Recruitment 40% 44% 16% Agriculture 38% 48% 13% Services (e.g. Finance, healthcare, Education, IT) 46% 35% 19% Transport & Haulage 34% 49% 17% Wholesale and distribution 39% 46% 15% While many see AI as a potential threat, more of the UK’s Construction SME business owners see the technology presenting opportunities for growth and employment in their sector than those who do not. Yes 46% (UK average: 46%) No 35% (UK average: 36%) Unsure 19% (UK average: 18%) The business areas (in order) most at risk from AI – according to respondents – are: Our view Matt Roper, CEO of Close Brothers’ Commercial business, said: “Artificial Intelligence already impacts us on a daily basis in hundreds of ways, from route mapping to using chat bots to answer questions, and it’s only likely to become more prominent in the coming years. “Our research is telling us a number of things; firstly, there’s an understandable lack of consensus about AI’s current and potential impact, largely because it’s only gained traction in the public imagination fairly recently. There’s also no agreed definition of what AI actually is. “Secondly, there’s a recognition that it could present opportunities for firms to use AI to their advantage, particularly in those sectors that are more reliant on digital innovation. “And lastly, firms aren’t yet sure quite how to incorporate AI into their business processes.” For a more detailed breakdown or discussion about the results, contact Anton Nebbe, Head of PR and Communications, 07736 286 144, anton.nebbe@closebrothers.com. For more news from Close Brothers Asset Finance, please click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Striking mirrored design combined with illuminated panel and five-spray handset delivers a luxurious experience from an electric shower Bathroom specialist Aqualisa has announced Lumi+™: a stunning new series of premium electric showers that combine sophistication and performance. Available in three power options (8.5kW, 9.5kW or 10.5kW), the Lumi+ electric shower features a mirrored fascia that reflects light to enhance and brighten any bathroom environment, and two easy-turn brushed-chrome dials to control power and temperature. An illuminated strip on the front panel displays the status of the shower. Each Lumi+ model comes complete with a 1.5m long satin smooth hose to complement the mirrored finish. A generous 105mm Harmony handset with adjustable head delivers five different spray modes to suit all showering preferences, with rub-clean nozzles for an easy maintenance routine. With an A rating for energy efficiency, the Lumi+ takes water from the cold mains supply to deliver an instant, invigorating shower with no demand on stored hot water tanks. As the Lumi+ provides control over both temperature and power, users can minimise their consumption of both electricity and water. With safety in mind, each Lumi+ shower incorporates an over-temperature protection system, meaning that water will always remain at the desired temperature level. In addition, the low pressure indicator function warns the user if the water pressure drops lower than required. Engineered for durability, the Lumi+ features Aqualisa’s innovative phased shut-down technology, ensuring limescale build-up remains minimal over time. Starting and stopping the shower is controlled with a simple press of a button. Designed for flexibility and convenience, the Lumi+ shower is equipped with eight water and electric entry points, allowing straightforward installation in a new bathroom, or when replacing other brands of electric shower. All three models are supplied with a chrome rail, handset holder and handset kit, with shower gel hanger. Stuart Clark, head of new product design at Aqualisa, commented, “With the new Lumi+, we have reimagined the electric shower, with a blend of innovative mirrored design and exceptional performance, combined with the eco-friendly benefits of water and energy conservation. Delivering full control over both power and temperature, these showers are both efficient and flexible in operation, while the beautifully modern styling will make a statement in any bathroom setting.” The Aqualisa Lumi+ shower comes with a two-year parts and labour guarantee, and is BEAB, CE, WRAS and UWLA approved. Availability and pricingThe new Aqualisa Lumi+ range is available from December 2023. For pricing and more information, trade partners can contact their Aqualisa representative or the Aqualisa Customer Support Team on 01959 560020 or 01 864 3363 (Republic of Ireland). For more details, please visit: https://www.aqualisa.co.uk/products/type/electric-showers.html Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
McLaughlin & Harvey picked up three awards at the Considerate Constructors Scheme’s 2023 Leading Lights Awards. The awards, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 27 November, recognise sites, organisations and individuals who have gone above and beyond the Code of Considerate Practice in the areas of Community, Environment and Workforce. The company was presented awards in three categories: one for our work on West Asset Resource Centre (ARC) for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service; one for our Eden Campus project in Kingston Upon Thames; and an individual award for our Site Agent Matthew McAdam. West Asset Resource Centre (ARC) project for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Improving lives and creating lasting legacies was at the heart of McLaughlin & Harvey’s Community Matters Programme at the Scottish Fire and Rescue West Arc project. Partnering with local community groups, McLaughlin & Harvey targeted its resources directly to those in crisis, supporting hundreds of people experiencing the high cost of living and ongoing cuts to local services. Initiatives included a community lunch providing 100 hot meals; volunteering at a local foodbank; theatre ticket donations to tackle social isolation in the elderly; and monetary support to other charities and social enterprises. Delivering a positive impact to individuals and families experiencing isolation and poverty, the programme has generated £6.67m in Social Value and inspired teams to deliver similar initiatives across other projects. Eden Campus Our Eden Campus project was successful in the Physical Wellbeing category. McLaughlin & Harvey prides itself on being a good employer and considers the health, safety and wellbeing of both its workforce and those affected by its activities, fundamental to its business. An example of its commitment is evident on the Eden Campus project where McLaughlin & Harvey, together with the building’s end user, Unilever, helped create a positive and proactive health, safety and wellbeing culture. Working together the teams co-designed and implemented an employee engagement programme, supporting staff affected by the rising cost of living with donations and discounted Unilever products, uplifting morale with an ice cream van, and upskilling 226 individuals through CPD courses. The initiative has gained an overwhelmingly positive response and is expected to put £6,772 back into the community, increasing further as the engagement plan develops. Matthew McAdam, Site Agent Our Site Agent, and STEM Ambassador, Matthew McAdam received an Individual Champion Award in the Community category for his Snowy Waring The Explorer initiative. Matthew delivered a highly engaging and thought-provoking STEM programme to raise awareness and educate children on the importance of civil engineering and sustainable construction. Inspired by the Frozen Planet 2 TV series, Matthew used his professional network to find the resources to send ‘Snowy’, a local school mascot, on a round-trip to Antarctica. Matthew took the time to write a regular blog to accompany the adventure, he created a series of supporting resources and hosted a number of STEM events at local schools. Highlighting the damaging impact of climate and sea level change, and the significance of designing and constructing projects sustainably and responsibly to protect our planet, Matthew is inspiring a new climate-conscious generation. Commenting on the award wins, Alastair Lambe, Group SHEQ Director, said: “We’re proud to have accepted these awards in front of our industry peers, showcasing the efforts of our teams and individual employees to go above and beyond on our projects. The wins reflect the added value McLaughlin & Harvey creates for society through our business operations to improve the environment, economy and social well-being. “McLaughlin & Harvey is committed to improving the image of the industry by raising standards, building trust and ensuring that all our projects are working to the core values of the Considerate Constructor Scheme.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
More than half of SME builders reported the planning system as their biggest barrier to delivering new homes, according to the Federation of Master Builders, FMB, annual survey. Respondents cited ‘inadequate resourcing’ of planning departments as the main reason for delays in applications followed by poor communication. FMB chief executive Brian Berry said: “For small builders, the survey is clear that the system is too complex and costly. Communication from local planning authorities is also poor. Without changing this, planning issues are likely to loom large as a barrier for some time.” Extra expense due to planning delays was the most significant cause of additional costs. Out of the 127 members surveyed only 12 per cent had a ‘high degree of certainty’ in the planning process. Nearly half, 45 per cent, had medium certainty with a third, 32 per cent, seeing a low degree followed by 11 per cent with a very low degree of certainty in the planning process. The second biggest barrier was restricted mortgage availability with just over half, 51 per cent, indicating this was a problem. Buyer demand was at its lowest since 2015, when the survey began recording this data, with an average score of two out of five, with five being very good and nought being very poor. “This issue has seen a rapid rise over the last two years, reflecting the devastating impact the wider economy can have on the small house builders. With many consumers choosing not to take out mortgages it would appear the market is only getting smaller, resulting in less homes being built,” said Mr Berry. He added that this would be tough for SMEs whose housebuilding market share has dwindled from 40 per cent more than 30 years ago to just ten per cent now. Nearly a third of respondents, 63 per cent, said small site opportunities are decreasing, down from 82 per cent last year, with five per cent reporting that the number is increasing. And 60 per cent reported obtaining planning for small sites was worsening with 59 per cent believing national planning policy framework requirements on councils to identify sites wasn’t helping. “Lack of available land is also frustrating small builders and without proper incentives for local authorities to promote small sites it seems unlikely there will be much change,” added Mr Berry. Interest rate charges hold SME developers back Access to finance received the lowest rating in six years of just under two out of five with interest rate charges on new loans quoted as the most significant issue restricting the ability to build new homes. More than half, 53 per cent, cited self-build or custom contracts as the most popular source of funding for a new project. Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said there were still development finance lenders out there offering a property development mortgage at a good rate. Nearly all respondents, 94 per cent, said it had become more expensive to build over the last 12 months. More than half, 53 per cent, said it had become 20 per cent more expensive with one in five saying it was 30 per cent more expensive per site. Just under a quarter, 24 per cent, plan to grow their on-site workforce over the next year with 57 per cent planning to keep roughly the same numbers and 12 per cent planning to decrease headcounts. Half of respondents said they would be upskilling their workforce with 36 per cent reporting they would hire one or more apprentices down slightly on last year’s 40 per cent. Over 70 per cent of respondents said they were not confident about the new rules on biodiversity net gain which go live next year. More than half said there would be increased costs associated with future homes standards in 2025 when gas boilers can no longer be installed. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Access Industry Forum, the forum that represents the principal work at height trade associations and federations, is calling for clearer reporting of workplace accidents in a bid to save lives. As newly released Health & Safety Executive (HSE) statistics show another year of little improvement in workplace falls from height, the Access Industry Forum (AIF) is urging government and business to work together to spearhead action and prevent accidents. HSE statistics published last week report that over 5,000 people in Great Britain were injured at work last year due to a fall from height. 40 people also lost their lives1. These incidents are required by law to be reported by employers through RIDDOR2, but it is known there is substantial underreporting of non-fatal falls from height for all workers, particularly the self-employed, who were found to report just 12% of workplace incidents3. In addition to employer reported RIDDOR incidents, the HSE estimates the scale of non-fatal workplace injury using their preferred source, the self-reported Labour Force Survey (LFS). According to the LFS, the number of falls over the last 10 years may be up to 425,0004. Along with the lives, families and businesses affected by these accidents, up to 992,000 working days were lost through non-fatal falls from height in Great Britain last year alone5. Not only that, the total cost of non-fatal falls in 2022/23 is estimated to be over £770 million, made up of costs to the employer and the individual, government tax losses and benefit payments6. These figures have been consistent over recent years, with no signs of improvement. Research undertaken by the AIF found that limited data collected on the circumstances surrounding accidents, coupled with a problematic reporting system, make it difficult to pinpoint the underlying causes of falls from height and identify whether they are related to issues such as faulty equipment, lack of training, or negligence. The AIF is renewing its call for a simplified system of reporting to more accurately reflect the cause of workplace accidents so that informed, preventative measures can be implemented to address the cause of fall from height incidents. Unlike most other types of workplace injuries, the consequences of a fall from height are usually life-changing for the person involved, with many unlikely to return to their previous occupation, as well as having long-term consequences for employers, colleagues and families. The AIF actively supports the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Working at Height, which will bring together MPs and stakeholders from across industry at its next meeting in Westminster in December. They will be discussing how government and business can work together to ensure technological and regulatory progress can be made to make the UK the safest country in the world for those working at height. Peter Bennett OBE, AIF Chair, said: “This year’s statistics show that there is much work still to be done to ensure those who have to work at height do so in as safe an environment as possible. Very little information is provided on the circumstance around non-fatal and fatal incidents, with current reporting focused on the type of incident as opposed to what caused it in the first place. This needs to change if we are to see a decrease in the number of people who tragically lose their lives while working at height, and those who suffer the life-changing consequences of a fall from height. “We know that working at height can be dangerous, but we should be able to put appropriate and robust measures in place to make it safer. I look forward to attending the meeting of the APPG in December so we can demonstrate to lawmakers the need for a simplified reporting system and ensure all those working at height go home safely at the end of the day.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Building work is underway on a new £20m development of affordable housing with low-carbon heating systems in Cheltenham. Housing association Bromford has started construction of 71 new homes on a brownfield site on Village Road in the town. The four-acre site is the former home of the Douglas Equipment factory which had been empty since the site closed in 2020. The former factory buildings were demolished in April in preparation for work getting underway to build the new homes. The development, called The Fairway, will be a mix of 1-bedroom maisonettes and two, three, four and five-bedroom homes. Thirty-two homes will be available to rent, with the other 39 available to part-buy, part-rent through Bromford’s shared ownership scheme. All 71 homes at The Fairway will be heated by air source heat pumps, which are a low-carbon alternative to gas boilers. They are more efficient than a standard boiler, allowing households to use less energy to keep their homes warm. The homes will all have EV charging points, and most of them will also have solar panels. The £20m development is being part-funded by Bromford’s strategic partnership with Homes England. Project manager Stuart Hay said: “I’m delighted that work is underway on our new development to provide new affordable, sustainable homes here in Cheltenham. Installing air source heat pumps in all these homes will reduce our customers’ reliance on fossil fuels and helps us on our journey to becoming a net-zero carbon organisation. “House prices in Cheltenham are ten times average incomes*, which means buying a home in the town is out of reach for many people, so there is a clear need for more affordable housing in the town. With a mix of rented and shared ownership homes, the variation of housing we are providing at The Fairways means there’s something for everyone. I’m looking forward to seeing the site progress over the coming months and welcoming the first customers into their new homes.” The homes are being built by Bromford’s in-house construction team, which last year completed 232 of the 1,265 homes built by the Gloucestershire-based housing association. The entire development is due to be completed in spring 2025. The first shared ownership homes will be available shortly – find out more at www.findahome.bromford.co.uk *According to National Housing Federation data Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals