THE UK’s leading importer and distributor of Firestone RubberCover roofing products, Permaroof, has appointed Lily Chadwick as marketing co-ordinator as it continues to grow the number of brands and services it offers to merchants as well as direct to trade. With the addition of The Skylight Company, Permalawn and Permafence
Unfortunately, no current conversation about timber is complete without comment on the government’s catch-all ban on combustible materials. At the end of 2018, as part of fire safety improvement measures intended to prevent another blaze like that seen at Grenfell Tower, the then Housing Secretary, James Brokenshire, introduced new legislation
THE past few months have been a time of massive upheaval for installers across the UK following the coronavirus lockdown – with contractors having to adapt to new ways of working in an extremely short space of time. On Sunday, 10 May, Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a ‘conditional plan’
CHAS, the supply chain risk management experts, and Causeway Technologies, the largest specialist software provider to the UK construction market, have announced an integration partnership which enables users of Causeway’s connected supply chain network, Tradex, to find fully accredited health & safety compliant contractors. The integration between Causeway’s Tradex platform
Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is celebrating a triumphant triple win as two of its recent projects received three accolades, including ‘Project of the Year’, at the 2020 RICS Social Impact Awards. RICS (Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors) announced winners of the RICS Social Impact Awards for the East Midlands
As the UK has now passed the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak and the incredible NHS is turning the tide on the huge demand put on its services, Hayfield is today recommencing construction work on close to 400 new homes across its development portfolio. Construction work paused on all Hayfield
Landscaping from award-winning designer and rooftop allotments New images and details of a landmark development of 148 flats, office space and a café planned for Newtown Road in Hove have been unveiled by Yelo Architects. The plan was approved by Brighton and Hove City Council’s first virtual planning committee on
Environmental risk reduction specialist Adler and Allan says it is proud to be supporting the national effort by helping organisations to keep Britain moving safely and compliantly during the current COVID-19 crisis. Adler and Allan’s core purpose is to help public and private sector businesses understand and manage their environmental
A massive new development, to be called Horizon29, will create more than 2,250 warehouse jobs in Derbyshire, according to developers and investors. To consist of five warehouses covering a total space of over 800,000 square feet, the project in Derbyshire’s Chesterfield has now received planning permission and is all set
ARLA Propertymark has responded to the UK Parliament’s Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee’s (HCLG) Inquiry into the impact of Coronavirus on homelessness and the private rented sector. The aim of the Committee’s Inquiry, which closed its deadline for written submissions on Tuesday 5 May, is to examine how effective
THE UK’s leading importer and distributor of Firestone RubberCover roofing products, Permaroof, has appointed Lily Chadwick as marketing co-ordinator as it continues to grow the number of brands and services it offers to merchants as well as direct to trade. With the addition of The Skylight Company, Permalawn and Permafence names to its offering, Lily is tasked with further strengthening each individual company in addition to the parent Permaroof UK Ltd brand, heading up all communications activity and implementing formal marketing strategies. Lily said: “Permaroof is a leading name in the flat roofing market; it has a strong reputation for strategic growth at an impressive rate. It was this market position and the company’s move into new markets, such as fencing and artificial grass, that held great appeal as a marketeer. “Permaroof is run as a really tight-knit friendly business, which extends to its relationship with customers. This is not only enjoyable as an employee, but it’s a fantastic basis for the formal marketing strategy that will be rolled out throughout 2020.” Permaroof, which has its head office in Alfreton, Derbyshire, has grown rapidly since it started trading as a family business in 1999. Over the past five years, the firm has tripled its turnover. In 2019, the business celebrated its most successful year to date with 24,000 orders completed; the highest figure in its 19-year history. This significant milestone followed four consecutive record sales months and a raft of exciting investments. The company added 22,000 sq ft of warehouse space with 60,000 sq ft of racking to its Derbyshire head office in early 2019, allowing the addition of new product lines, as well as increasing its sales force by eight to form a nationwide team of 37. Managing director Adrian Buttress said: “Lily’s appointment reflects the growth that we achieved in 2019 and our ambition to keep down this path with the aid of a clear and recognisable brand. I’m delighted to welcome Lily to support the evolution of our products and services which continues to progress quickly, even during the coronavirus pandemic.” During the outbreak, Permaroof reacted swiftly to adapt its offering to begin working closely with modular companies for the first time, supplying fast flat roofing solutions to four emergency NHS projects in the first month of lockdown. As a result, Permaroof is now supplying its Firestone RubberGard EPDM roofing system to four different modular projects – including Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guilford, Bristol Royal Infirmary and Chesterfield Royal. For further information on Permaroof UK, please visit www.permaroof.co.uk.
Unfortunately, no current conversation about timber is complete without comment on the government’s catch-all ban on combustible materials. At the end of 2018, as part of fire safety improvement measures intended to prevent another blaze like that seen at Grenfell Tower, the then Housing Secretary, James Brokenshire, introduced new legislation banning combustible materials on new high-rise homes above 18m. In late 2019, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick called for the height threshold for combustible materials to be lowered to “at least 11m” (or typically anything less than three storeys in height). The second reading for the Fire Safety Bill – with the lowered threshold included – took place on 29 April. A date for the committee stage is yet to be announced and the consultation deadline has been pushed back to 25 May 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis. Architects, builders, suppliers of structural timber and many others passionate about the good that wood can do for this country, are now rightly concerned about what the future holds for multi-storey timber buildings. All while many other countries are passing legislation to promote the use of more timber products in construction. While there’s no question that the Fire Safety Bill is intended to enhance occupant safety, we mustn’t lose sight of timber’s inherent qualities as a building material; benefits that have made it an increasingly popular choice for structural components. It’s easy to transport and modify, it minimises noise pollution on site and it’s highly cost-efficient to produce and use. We as an industry are calling for an objective investigation; one led by facts and science rather than emotion. To quash the use of wood in structures over 11m would be to fly in the face of the sustainable evolution that the construction industry and, more importantly, the nation so desperately needs. Indeed, in its November 2019 report, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the timber industries said: “Without using safe structural timber we cannot meet these targets [the government’s net zero carbon commitment] and we will fail to address the construction industry’s contribution to climate change.” A more sustainable, decarbonised economy can allow the planet to repair itself. The building materials we choose can be a key contributor to this. To choose timber is to choose a building material that would not adversely impact or inconvenience the way we live our lives; a material that can help build a more sustainable future. Responsibly managed forests have always been the earth’s air cleaners and will continue to be so forever. And a by-product of responsibly managed forests? High-quality, sustainable timber; timber that has already taken from the air and locked away decades’ worth of harmful CO2. Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton Architects – one of the UK’s leading proponents of timber construction – summed it up brilliantly earlier this year: “The reality is the evidence says we’ve got 12 years left to sort out climate change – we’ve got to start changing the way we do things. And we’ve got to keep pushing the message about the safety of CLT. It’s not only quicker to put up; it’s safer, healthier, lighter and locks away carbon.”
THE past few months have been a time of massive upheaval for installers across the UK following the coronavirus lockdown – with contractors having to adapt to new ways of working in an extremely short space of time. On Sunday, 10 May, Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a ‘conditional plan’ to reopen parts of society – highlighting construction and manufacturing as an example of an industry where returning to work would now be explicitly encouraged. With this in mind, Adrian Buttress, managing director at Permaroof, the UK’s leading importer and distributor of Firestone RubberCover, shares his top tips on how traders can continue to work effectively and safely with both suppliers and customers. He said: “Many roofing installers have continued to work throughout the pandemic and now, the rest of the industry is being encouraged to return to their jobs. We recommend contractors strictly implement the government’s social distancing requirements and avoid public transport to minimise the risk of spreading the virus and keep the public – as well as themselves – safe.” Be organised when collecting materials “Despite lots of workers now being encouraged to go back into their workplace, this doesn’t mean everything will go back to as it was pre-pandemic straight away. “At the moment, you’re probably not going to be able to go to a trade counter and decide what you need while there. You will need to know exactly what you want beforehand and pre-order the stock so the guidelines in place can be strictly adhered to. It’s also important to stay on top of stock checks so you know exactly what you have already to avoid placing unnecessary orders.” Expect delays “Most businesses are running on skeleton staff who will be working different shifts and will have changed their ways of working to continue trading, meaning processes may be slower. When ordering from the merchant counter, it’s likely your order may take longer to fulfil than normal. To avoid this impacting on your business, forward plan and place orders before stocks become critically low.” Organising quotations “When carrying out quotations, it’s important to communicate with customers clearly. Tell them to stay inside while you get up the ladder and take the measurements. The quotation can then be sent over email – offering a completely contactless service.” Offering a contactless service “Once you’ve got the materials and secured the job, work to pre-arrange any electricity extensions to be put outside the building so you don’t have to go inside the home. Also, it’s worth thinking about toilet facilities and how you’re going to access these safely while staying away from the customer. “Sadly, tea and coffee should be off the cards too and make sure you’re sanitising as you go along. Not only is all of the above good practice in terms of health and safety, it’s all good for the customer to see that you care about their wellbeing. “When it comes to roofs, things can go wrong and urgent maintenance and repairs sometimes need to be carried out without further delay to avoid problems down the line. However, it’s vital that these take place safely to avoid the further spread of the virus.” For more information on Permaroof UK, please visit www.permaroof.co.uk or call 01773 608839.
CHAS, the supply chain risk management experts, and Causeway Technologies, the largest specialist software provider to the UK construction market, have announced an integration partnership which enables users of Causeway’s connected supply chain network, Tradex, to find fully accredited health & safety compliant contractors. The integration between Causeway’s Tradex platform and the CHAS database gives Causeway customers sight of CHAS contractors’ health & safety assessments, providing reassurance that they are fully compliant with latest health & safety requirements removing the administrative burden on users needing to perform these compliance checks themselves. The CHAS database holds a live record of all relevant contractor qualifications and certifications and features an alert that notifies members if and when any documents need to be renewed so Causeway Tradex users can also be confident that contractors’ credentials are up-to-date. CHAS Managing Director, Ian McKinnon, comments: “We are really pleased to announce this new agreement with Causeway Technologies which will provide users in the Tradex network with real-time data about the compliance status of their supply chain and in turn increase the visibility of CHAS members.” “The partnership demonstrates our commitment to helping our customers build their businesses and highlights our desire to promote solutions that help make the construction industry more efficient.” Over 170,000 organisations use Tradex, the UKs largest construction connected supply chain network to streamline the supplier accreditation process, and remove manual processes that cause bottlenecks for both Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable teams, especially during this highly disruptive time. Andrew Woolstone, Product Owner at Causeway Technologies says: “The integration of Tradex Supplier Management with CHAS ensures that, for our customers that use CHAS as a trusted accreditation service, the information about their subcontractors that is verified and maintained by CHAS is automatically available and updated within the Tradex platform. This provides a single source of accurate data to ensure real-time health & safety compliance across the whole supply chain.”
Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is celebrating a triumphant triple win as two of its recent projects received three accolades, including ‘Project of the Year’, at the 2020 RICS Social Impact Awards. RICS (Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors) announced winners of the RICS Social Impact Awards for the East Midlands via a virtual ceremony last week (6 May), hosted by British tv presenters Phil Spencer and Emma Jesson. The inaugural awards recognise the built environment’s positive and transformational contribution to society. The Dorothy Goodman Special Needs School took home the headline award for ‘Project of the Year’, as well as receiving the winning spot for the Education category. Construction to improve facilities at the school was completed by G F Tomlinson in late 2018, and involved the creation of a new specially-equipped school building. The contractor worked collaboratively alongside the school, Hadland Manning Bullock Quantity Surveyors, Grayling Thomas Architects and Ian Harban Consulting Engineers to ensure that the needs of the pupils, staff and the local community remained the focus for the design and delivery of the new building. The specialist school in Hinckley, Leicester caters for 110 pupils aged between 11 and 19 years with a wide range of learning disabilities. On the Dorothy Goodman SEN School’s award, RICS Social Impact Awards head judge for the East Midlands, Sally Walters commented: “As a project dedicated to the support of pupils with special educational needs, the Dorothy Goodman School excels in providing social value not only to the young people who attend, but also the wider community. “The open and honest design approach promotes the facility and assists with the pupil’s development, whilst integrating them throughout their education into the wider world. “The design is innovative and centres on a wide range of special and challenging needs that allow users of the facility to further themselves.” Winner of the Leisure category was the Tower Gardens Community Pavilion, which was completed by G F Tomlinson at the start of 2020, with the project team including global property and construction consultancy Gleeds and Lincoln-based Core Architects. The new £1.6m mixed-use community building was delivered through the Scape Regional Construction framework for Skegness Town Council, and was built to bring new inclusive community facilities to Skegness to transform the town into an inclusive environment and workplace, as well as a vibrant place to visit. On the Tower Gardens award, judge Sally Walters commented: “The Tower Gardens Pavilion has breathed life back into a previously neglected area of Skegness town centre. The new Pavilion will provide easier access to crucial town council services, as well as providing flexible spaces and a café for the community to access all year round. “The enthusiasm from the team behind the project, as well as the support from the local community is impressive and the judges believe this project will have a positive social impact for both residents and visitors to the area.” Chris Flint, director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re delighted that two of our projects have been winners at this years’ RICS Social Impact Awards, with one of the accolades including the prestigious ‘Project of the Year’. “With a company that has social value rooted so deeply in our ethos, these awards are testament to what we stand for as a business. We’re proud to be able to deliver projects which have had such a positive impact on the communities we work in, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. “Although we couldn’t be there to celebrate this incredible triple win, we’re pleased that the awards could still go ahead virtually. We’d like to thank the project teams for their work on both of these developments, including our supply chain partners. Congratulations everyone, this is well deserved.”
As the UK has now passed the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak and the incredible NHS is turning the tide on the huge demand put on its services, Hayfield is today recommencing construction work on close to 400 new homes across its development portfolio. Construction work paused on all Hayfield sites at the end of March to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its workforce and their families. The suite of live developments comprises Hayfield Grange in Southam, Warwickshire; Hayfield Green in Stanton Harcourt and Hayfields in Southmoor – both in Oxfordshire; and Hayfield Place in Silsoe and the soon to be launched Hayfield Gate in Clifton – both in Bedfordshire. Mark Booth, Managing Director of Hayfield said: “I have been astounded by the team spirit and dedication from all Hayfield staff throughout lockdown. The strong sense of community and comradery that is being seen across the country will contribute massively to getting the UK back on its feet. “Last night the Prime Minister specifically urged construction sites to be operational, providing we can do this safely and with social distancing measures in place. With Government and Construction Leadership Council guidance, our Health and Safety team has been busy compiling a Safe Operating Procedure. This will enable us to maintain our core values and ensure our customers, everyone who works for Hayfield, our valued supply chain and all those we encounter are protected.” Throughout lockdown, Hayfield has remained open for business seven days a week in a virtual sense, which has enabled the business to progress with planning and pre-construction work on number of developments in the pipeline. Hayfield has also secured residential land opportunities and taken new reservations across its portfolio of live schemes. With robust social distancing protocols and physical protection measures in place, Hayfield is now undergoing a process of restarting construction work. To pave the way for this, an onsite presence five days a week – Thursday to Monday – was put in place from last week to serve customers at all Hayfield’s schemes. Mark Booth continued: “I want to stress that we have done everything possible to ensure this is not ‘business as usual’. All our staff have received Hayfield Safe Operating Procedures training. Additional signage, PPE and welfare consumables have been procured, and our contractors have re-written and re-trained their employees in Covid-19 compliant safe working. “While the global impact of Covid-19 is unprecedented, when I founded Hayfield, the cyclical nature of the housebuilding industry was designed into the business plan to accommodate recessions and shocks to the system. As the basic macroeconomics of housebuilding have not altered, the board remains encouraged that a new business norm will be achieved. Hayfield’s foundations are strong, and our funding partners see us as a resilient and solid housebuilder of note. We are well placed to move on with our business plan and I am confident our growth will be consistent with our progress over recent years.” At the end of March, Hayfield secured a five-star customer satisfaction rating in the first year it has participated in the esteemed star rating scheme run by the Home Builders Federation (HBF). In 2019, Hayfield made history by becoming the first ever to be crowned Best Small Housebuilder in both the WhatHouse? and Housebuilder Awards. The company also won Best Customer Satisfaction Initiative at the 2019 Housebuilder Awards, with the judges selecting the newcomer above numerous established PLCs. Hayfield also won Best House Under £750k at the 2019 Evening Standard New Homes Awards and Residential Developer of the Year at the 2019 Insider West Midlands Property Awards. The company has also scooped three NHBC Pride in the Job Awards. For contact details and more information on Hayfield’s development portfolio, visit: https://www.hayfieldhomes.co.uk/developments#current-developments
Landscaping from award-winning designer and rooftop allotments New images and details of a landmark development of 148 flats, office space and a café planned for Newtown Road in Hove have been unveiled by Yelo Architects. The plan was approved by Brighton and Hove City Council’s first virtual planning committee on Wednesday April 22 after lockdown began. The £60m scheme will be built on an under-used brownfield site at KAP Motor Group’s former Peugeot garage. This development comes in the wake of other Yelo Architects award winning housing schemes at nearby One Hove Park and New Wave. Newtown Road includes rooftop allotments and green spaces to encourage wildlife, while landscaping was designed by award-winning landscaper Nicholas Dexter. Andy Parsons, Managing Director, Yelo Architects, said: “This is our third major planning approval in the Hove Station area and we think this attractive and sustainable scheme will build on the character of the area as it transitions from industrial to mixed use. ”This is a high quality and well-designed scheme boasting big balconies with room for a table to seat four and space to grow food on every balcony. We also used perforated metal instead of glass on the balconies because it helps them feel more private. ”Newtown Road will be a catalyst for the area as it begins a transition phase where it moves from industrial to mixed use. Change is always challenging for residents, but it’s not ideal to have lots of industrial use next to residential either. There’s a masterplan for the whole area and it’s important for developers to follow this closely.” The three blocks range in height from 4 to 11 storeys and include a mix of one, two and three bedroom homes. There are 104 car parking spaces in a basement car park and there is also covered ground-level cycle parking. Parsons continued: ”We secured planning consent at the first virtual meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee, so it’s encouraging to see that even during a pandemic, it is still possible to move these major projects along. To stand the best chance of success of securing approval during lockdown, it’s crucial for architects to provide exceptional imagery, 3D visuals and clear annotated drawings.” The firm worked in partnership with Savills, Ardent Consulting Engineers, BECG, NuPlanet Sustain and Nick Dexter on the scheme. There will be a New Homes Bonus contribution of approximately £991,000 for Brighton and Hove City Council as well as Section 106 contributions. Around 110 jobs will be created during construction. Yelo Architects worked closely with Brighton and Hove City Council planning officers, local residents and community groups throughout the process. This included considering Hove Station Forum’s illustrative masterplan for the future of the Hove Station area. For more information, please visit https://yeloarchitects.com/
Environmental risk reduction specialist Adler and Allan says it is proud to be supporting the national effort by helping organisations to keep Britain moving safely and compliantly during the current COVID-19 crisis. Adler and Allan’s core purpose is to help public and private sector businesses understand and manage their environmental risks, reducing the impact to the environment, their operation and their reputation. In this time of national crisis, it has modified its procedures to safeguard its employees and customers health, and strictly follows the guidelines for essential services published by the government. Teams from Adler and Allan are supporting the effort to feed the nation by providing fuel deliveries, fleet fuel infrastructure maintenance and temporary expansion for supermarkets and other logistics organisations as well as emergency services. Ensuring continuity of power is of critical importance at this challenging time. Modern biodiesels risk that continuity as they attract water, causing microbial contamination in tanks and exposing hospitals and other critical services to considerable operational risk. Adler and Allan is providing regular tank testing and maintenance as well as fuel polishing to ensure the nations generators will provide power when required. Our teams across the country continue to respond to pollution incidents to ensure that our environment is kept safe and businesses can resume operations after an incident. Bob Contreras, Executive Chairman, said: “The safety of our colleagues and customers is of paramount importance and we rigorously follow all HSE and Government advice on any work we carry out. “Adler and Allan is proud to support many infrastructure projects that are critical to the nation’s efforts to deal with the current coronavirus crisis. We are supporting our clients by providing maintenance of critical assets and response services to organisations across emergency services, military, supermarket, utilities, data centres, local authorities, forecourts, highways and rail operations. “Our 24/7 UK-wide response services for incidents involving a range of oil, chemicals and other contaminants together with treatment of hazardous waste are also critical for keeping people safe and protecting the environment. As such, many of our colleagues are defined as key workers under the latest government announcement.” For more information on Adler and Allan’s critical work during the pandemic please visit www.adlerandallan.co.uk.
A massive new development, to be called Horizon29, will create more than 2,250 warehouse jobs in Derbyshire, according to developers and investors. To consist of five warehouses covering a total space of over 800,000 square feet, the project in Derbyshire’s Chesterfield has now received planning permission and is all set to go ahead. The warehousing development is to be built near the M1’s Junction 29A in the Markham Vale area of Chesterfield and will create thousands of jobs for the region. Developers iSec and the St. Francis Group say they are hoping to fill the site with businesses from the manufacturing, logistics and industrial sectors and will have some plots ready for operation as early as next year. Once the two phases of the Horizon29 development are complete, the developers estimate that 2,253 full or part time jobs in Derbyshire will be created. The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership is a major investor in the Derbyshire project. Giving an update on the development, the LEP’s Chief Executive, Sajeeda Rose, said: “I’m pleased to see the first phase of the Horizon29 development progressing well. As thoughts turn to how our region recovers from the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, projects like Horizon29 will be key in supporting our regional economy recovering and creating jobs for our people and communities.” Development Director for iSec, Nigel Lax, also commented, saying: “As well as stimulating significant local job opportunities, we also expect the scheme to stimulate fresh inward investment in the area, giving a significant boost to the local economy. At 1.4 million sq ft in total, the scheme will play a national role in the ever-expanding logistics market, based on rapidly increasing demand from e-commerce.” “Horizon29 will be opening for business and available to logistics and manufacturing companies looking to return to some degree of normality in the not too distant future and capitalises on an outstanding location close to Sheffield, Chesterfield, Nottingham and Derby,” added Mr Lax.
ARLA Propertymark has responded to the UK Parliament’s Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee’s (HCLG) Inquiry into the impact of Coronavirus on homelessness and the private rented sector. The aim of the Committee’s Inquiry, which closed its deadline for written submissions on Tuesday 5 May, is to examine how effective the UK Government has been in supporting individuals in the private rented sector. It is also examining what long term strategies would need to be put in place to support both groups, once current measures expire. Propertymark highlighted the positive steps the Government has taken to support the private rented sector during the pandemic such as extending business rates relief and including commission in furloughed pay. However, concerns remain about access to support for agents who are self-employed and the disparity in how the Small Business Support Grants are being administered by different local authorities across the country. Furthermore, for renters, Propertymark remains concerned that while general awareness of the Government’s policies aimed at helping renters is modest, actual knowledge of the policies among renters is low. Action is needed Support for self-employed agents – Some Limited company directors and small businesses have fallen between the Government’s economic support packages. To support this segment of the employment market the Government could ask company directors to self-report their average dividend income in order to obtain a similar measure of support to the 80 per cent of income that self-employed and PAYE workers can access. Furthermore, agents who are self-employed had to have filed their 2018-19 tax return by 23 April 2020 to receive support under the Self-employment Income Support Scheme. However, if they had more recently become self-employed, such as from April 2019 it is not clear what support is available. In addition, payments will not be made until June 2020 which means three months of no income when many agents continue to have bills and overheads to pay. Improve renters’ knowledge of support – There is lots of Government support available that should allow tenants to continue to pay their rent and landlords to have an income if rent payments do stop. However, not enough is being done to explain and highlight these policies. In order that rent payments continue to be paid and the Government keep the rent flowing, renters and their landlords need to take full advantage of the Government schemes available during this difficult period. Current issues Suspend the introduction of mandatory electrical checks – With the added complications of Coronavirus, the supply chain capacity issues have got significantly worse, and therefore, the Government should suspend the introduction until such time as it is possible for the industry to practically implement the legislation. Review and update guidance on maintenance and safety checks – 70 per cent of agents who Propertymark surveyed said that the Government’s guidance on what to do for compliance checks during the outbreak is clear and helpful. However, agents are facing problems getting routine maintenance and safety checks at the properties they manage completed. Agents and landlords want to do the best by their tenants and are understandably nervous about falling foul of regulations and therefore, we ask the Government to review and update the guidance already issued. Post lockdown Provide more support on rent payments – Survey results from Propertymark members show that nearly all have said that up to a quarter of their tenants have missed a rental payment since the Coronavirus outbreak. Consequently, three things need to happen to further assist renters. Firstly, more needs to be done to explain the support available from the Government. Secondly, the Government must suspend the five weeks Universal Credit payment period with all payments made in full and paid directly to the letting agent or landlord. Thirdly, for those tenants who fall through the gaps in the Government’s current provisions should be able to apply for their rent to be paid via Universal Credit. Postpone the introduction of all licensing schemes – Members are alarmed that a number of Councils are ignoring guidance issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government which says that where local authorities are in the process of introducing non-mandatory licensing schemes, but these are not yet in force, they should consider pausing these at an appropriate point, in line with the advice on proactive and reactive work. The Government must ensure local authorities postpone the introduction of all licensing schemes until the market can recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Separate rent arrears before and during the pandemic – Propertymark’s survey figures from members show that for the majority (78 per cent) the passing of legislation to delay eviction proceedings has impacted on up to ten tenancies they manage and between ten and 20 tenancies for 13 per cent of agents. Members are concerned about the speed in which cases will be able to be heard in the courts and the backlog of cases from before the Coronavirus Act was passed and those cases lodged during the outbreak and after the restrictions are lifted. click here for The full response The Committee will take oral evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on homelessness and the private rented sector on 11 May 2020. Propertymark will keep the sector updated on any further progress. WHAT PROPERTYMARK IS DOING Propertymark has been in constant dialogue with Governments across the UK and will continue to push concerns and get the answers the sector needs. Keep updated with the latest information and guidance by following and liking the ARLA Propertymark Facebook and Twitter pages and visiting our website for frequently updated news articles. If you’re a member, ensure you’re reading Propertymark’s communications as we’re working hard to ensure you are at the forefront of change in the sector. You can also login to the members’ area of the ARLA Propertymark website below to access dozens of resources that have been created to help you strive during this difficult time.