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  • 31/7/22
    Guidance: The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published three new standards as part of its Built Environment Competence programme. The new standards are:
    PAS 8671:2022 Built environment–Framework for competence of individual Principal Designers–Specification
    PAS 8672:2022 Built environment–Framework for competence of individual Principal Contractors–Specification; and
    PAS 8673:2022 Built environment–Competence requirements for the management of safety in residential buildings–Specification.
    These documents are free to download
    https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/industries-and-sectors/construction-and-the-built-environment/built-environment-competence-standards/

  • 29/7/22
    Closed Consultation: The UK Government (DLUHC) has published its raising accessibility standards for new homes consultation outcome.  The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has published the outcome of its consultation regarding the raising of accessibility standards for new homes. The government has committed to raising accessibility standards for new homes, and in the response has set out plans to mandate the current M4(2) requirement in Building Regulations as a minimum standard for all new homes.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/combustion-appliances-and-fuel-storage-systems-approved-document-j#full-publication-update-

  • 29/7/22
    Policy: The UK Government (DLUHC) has issued new statutory guidance on the building regulations in England for the storage of fuel systems and combustion appliances. This is through amendments made to Approved Document J, which extends the provisions and guidance for carbon monoxide alarms.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/combustion-appliances-and-fuel-storage-systems-approved-document-j#full-publication-update-

  • 28/7/22
    Analysis:The British Property Federation (BPF) has published a report on Build-to-Rent (BTR) during Q2 2022, which shows that a record number of local authorities have BTR properties in housing pipelines, increasing by 13% annually between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022 to 237,000 homes completed, under construction or in planning.
    https://bpf.org.uk/media/press-releases/record-number-of-local-authorities-have-build-to-rent-in-housing-pipelines/
     
  • 28/7/22
    Policy: The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) with five other built environment bodies have committed to a three-year action plan to improve equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the construction industry.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/built-environment-bodies-commit-to-three-year-action-plan-to-improve-equity-diversity-and-inclusion

  • 26/7/22
    Policy: The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published its ‘Levelling Up and Sustainable Placemaking’ report, in which it calls on the UK government to address the nationwide housing shortage, reform planning to create a more efficient system and encourage integration of critical infrastructure to support employment-led regeneration under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. The report sets out RICS’ ten-point plan containing the overarching policy recommendations for the UK government.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/rics-publishes-its-levelling-up-and-sustainable-placemaking-report/
     
  • 26/7/22
    Policy: (DLUHC) has published new information relating to the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022).
    The information provides guidance on which organisations will oversee the implementation of the Act in practice, details about upcoming consultations on related secondary legislation, and brief answers to a number of questions that will be of interest to those in the construction industry. The BSA 2022 has created three new bodies to provide effective oversight of the new regime: the Building Safety Regulator, the National Regulator of Construction Products and the New Homes Ombudsman. The information highlights how BSA 2022 will afford protection to leaseholders, tackle issues relating to higher risk buildings, and explains what BSA 2022 means for the built environment industry more generally.
    Primary legislation
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-building-safety-act
    Secondary legislation
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-building-safety-act-secondary-legislation

  • 25/7/22
    Analysis: The Construction Products Association (CPA) has published its latest construction industry forecast. The report states that construction output is forecast to rise by 2.5% in 2022 and 1.6% in 2023. The CPA forecasts strong growth in warehouses and infrastructure offsets, a slowdown in private housing and a fall in private housing repair, maintenance and improvement (rm&i).
    https://www.constructionproducts.org.uk/news-media-events/news/2022/july/cpa-summer-forecast-2022/

  • 25/7/22
    Legislation: Safety (Leaseholder Protections) (Information etc) (England) Regulations 2022 
    These Regulations are made to make provision for and in connection with the recovery, from a relevant landlord, of any amount that is not recoverable under a lease as a result of the leaseholder protections. It also makes provision requiring leaseholders to give prescribed information on their qualifying status, property value and shared ownership status, in order for their landlord to determine their liabilities under their self-declared qualifying lease. These Regulations came into force on 21 July 2022.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/859/made

  • 22/7/22
    Policy: The Welsh Government has has released a statement by the Welsh Minister for Climate Change, Julie James, regarding the work she has undertaken to encourage developers to make the governments building safety pledge.
    https://gov.wales/written-statement-update-building-safety-wales-0

  • 21/7/22
    Policy: The UK Government (DLUHC) has  published a raft of guidance documents for leaseholders on the protections afforded by the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022). The various guidance documents cover general guidance on leaseholder protections and remediation works and costs:
    - Building safety leaseholder protections: guidance for leaseholders—explains the implications of the leaseholder protections in BSA 2022
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-safety-leaseholder-protections-guidance-for-leaseholders
    -  Qualifying date, qualifying lease and extent
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/qualifying-date-qualifying-lease-and-extent
    - Mandatory information required from leaseholders and building owners
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mandatory-information-required-from-leaseholders-and-building-owners
    - Definition of ‘relevant building’
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/definition-of-relevant-building
    - Definition of ‘relevant defect’
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/definition-of-relevant-defect
    - Remediation costs: what leaseholders do and do not have to pay
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-costs-what-leaseholders-do-and-do-not-have-to-pay
    - Leaseholder contribution caps
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/leaseholder-contribution-caps
    - What are my building owner’s legal obligations?
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-are-my-building-owners-legal-obligations\
    - Making sure remediation work is done
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-sure-remediation-work-is-done
    - How will cladding costs be paid for?
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-will-cladding-costs-be-paid-for
    - Splitting liability among building owners
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/splitting-liability-among-building-owners
    - Cladding remediation
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cladding-remediation
    - Non-cladding remediation costs: summary
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/non-cladding-remediation-costs-summary
    - Definition of non-cladding remediation
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/definition-of-non-cladding-remediation
    - How do these legal changes affect my lease?
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-do-these-legal-changes-affect-my-lease
    - What if my building owner is insolvent?
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-if-my-building-owner-is-insolvent

  • 20/7/22
    Consultation: The UK Government (DLUHC) has launched two Consultations on the proposed changes to building regulations under Parts 3 and 4 of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022). The Consultation on changes under BSA 2022, Pt 3 is seeking views on policy proposals for legislation the DLUHC intends to introduce in order to design the building control procedure for higher-risk buildings, in addition to wider changes proposed to improve the overall building control system. The Consultation on the changes under BSA 2022, Pt 4 seeks views on policy proposals for the in-occupation phase for higher-risk buildings in scope of the new regime. Both Consultations will close on 12 October 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-implementing-the-new-building-control-regime-for-higher-risk-buildings-and-wider-changes-to-the-building-regulations-for-all-buildings
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-new-safety-regime-for-occupied-higher-risk-buildings

  • 18/07/22
    Analysis: The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has announced an increase in monthly construction output by 1.5% in volume terms, in May 2022, the seventh consecutive monthly growth and a record high in monthly level terms (£15,053m) since monthly records began in January 2010.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-output-increased-by-1-5-in-volume-terms-in-may-2022/

  • 15/7/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/839: The Construction Contracts (England) Exclusion Order 2022. Part 2 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (“the Act”) makes provision as regards the terms of construction contracts and related matters. The Order excludes from the entirety of Part 2 of the Act infrastructure project contracts where a party to the contract is a sewerage or water undertaker, subject to specified requirements (laid out in the Exclusion Order). This order was made on 15th July 2022 and will come into effect on 1st October 2022.

  • 15/07/22
    Consultation: RICS launches consultation on framework for competence of designers in England
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), on behalf of all members of Working Group 7—Designers (WG7), has launched a consultation seeking the views of any person likely to be considered a designer under the new Dutyholding regime now enshrined in law as the Building Safety Act 2022. The consultation will be open for an eight-week period from 13 July 2022 till 9 September 2022.
    https://consultations.rics.org/S01_competence_framework/consultationHome

  • 14/07/22
    Policy: The UK Government (DLUHC) has published a draft contract that will commit associated developers to rectify unsafe buildings and turn the building safety pledge into legally binding requirements for developers and major housebuilders.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-developer-remediation-contracts

  • 13/07/22
    Analysis: The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has reported that construction output increased in May 2022, with levels above pre-pandemic figures according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures. However, the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) sector continue its decline.
    https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/increase-in-monthly-construction-output-masks-worrying-trend-says-fmb.html

  • 04/07/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/711: Building Safety (Leaseholder Protections) (England) Regulations 2022. From Tuesday 28 June 2022, the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act 2022 come into force. In certain cases, landlords or building owners will be responsible for paying for remediation. Qualifying leaseholders will pay nothing to remove dangerous cladding, and the amount they can be asked to contribute to fixing other historical building safety defects will be capped.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/711/made
     
  • 01/07/22
    Policy: The UK Government (DLUHC) has updated it guidance on the Building Safety Fund (BSF) process to reflect new leaseholder protections that came into effect under the Building Safety Act on 28 June 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-support-as-a-leaseholder-or-resident-of-a-building-in-the-building-safety-fund-bsf-process#full-publication-update-history

  • 30/06/22
    Analysis: The Sustainable Energy Association (SEA) has released a new report, 'What Next for Heat & Buildings Policy?', outlining the remaining policy gaps and made recommendations for what the government should do to address them.
    https://www.sustainableenergyassociation.com/publications/what-next-for-heat-buildings-policy/

  • 29/06/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/712 Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These Regulations have been drawn up under the Building Safety Act 2022, in connection with Brexit. They amend two pieces of UK secondary legislation in relation to construction. They come into force on 20 July 2022.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/712/made

  • 28/06/22
    Policy: The UK Government (DLUHC) has announced that leaseholders will for the first time be legally protected from extortionate building safety costs as the measures under the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) come into force on 28 June 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leaseholders-protected-from-unfair-cladding-costs-as-governments-building-safety-reforms-come-into-force
     
  • 27/06/22
    Policy: The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published an article detailing what it believes should be the UK built environment’s three key priorities to help tackle the climate crisis and ensure that the UK halves its global emissions by 2030. 
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/3-key-priorities/

  • 21/06/22
    The UK Government (DLUHC) has amended its guidance providing practical information for placing construction products on the Great Britain (GB) market.  The guidance has been amended to reflect the Government’s intention to recognise historic test certificates for products under Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance (AVCP) System 3, including clarification on the deadline for historic test certificate and conditions that make the given certificate valid.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/construction-products-regulation-in-great-britain#full-publication-update-history

  • 21/06/22
    Policy: The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has announced its team of programme partners who will be driving the Advancing Net Zero (ANZ) programme for the period 2022–2023. The ANZ programme will work with its partners and wider UKGBC membership on guidance and advocacy work to ensure the sector reaches net zero.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-announces-advancing-net-zero-programme-partners-for-2022-2023/

  • 21/06/22
    Bills: Carbon Emissions (Buildings) Bill. A Private Member's Bill, requiring the whole-life carbon emissions of buildings to be reported; to set limits on embodied carbon emissions in the construction of buildings; and for connected purposes. This Bill had its first reading on 20th June 2022 and is due its second reading on 25th November 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3211
     
  • 17/06/22
    Analysis: The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published the results of its latest Future Trends survey, a monthly report of the business and employment trends affecting the architects’ profession.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/optimism-returns-despite-economic-uncertainty-riba-future-trends-may-2022

  • 16/06/22
    Policy: The Scottish Government has announced that the new standards to help reduce carbon emissions from housing stock, set out in the Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022, SSI 2022/136, will be introduced from December 2022. The new standards include improved performance targets to reduce emissions from new homes, introduce a new energy target for new buildings, and a focus on reducing energy demand by improving insulation to reduce heating needs and changes to facilitate low-carbon heating solutions.
    https://www.gov.scot/news/building-a-net-zero-future/

  • 16/06/22
    Closed Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) has published its response to its Consultation on 'heat network zoning', which ran from October to November 2021. BEIS has decided to proceed with the key elements of the proposed framework by developing a nationwide methodology for identifying and designating areas as heat network zones, establishing a new zoning co-ordinator role and requiring heat networks developed in zones to meet a low carbon requirement.
    Read more here

  • 15/06/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/622  Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These Regulations are made in exercise of legislative powers under the Hazardous Substances and Packaging (Legislative Functions and Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/1647, in connection with Brexit. They amend one piece of UK secondary legislation in relation to environmental protection. They come into force on 1 July 2022.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/622/made
     
  • 14/06/22
    Analysis: The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has published the construction out for April 2022, noting concern for the 0.4% fall in overall output but especially for small builders given repair, maintenance and improvement work fell by 2.4%.
    https://www.fmb.org.uk/news-and-campaigns/resource-library-search.html?information_type=press-release
     
  • 14/06/22
    Analysis: The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has commissioned a survey of its members to better understand the impact the fire at Grenfell Tower, that took place five years ago on 14 June, has had on the infrastructure sector. The survey found that more than nine in ten civil engineers think that their profession has lessons to learn from the Grenfell Tower disaster.
    https://www.ice.org.uk/news-insight/news-and-blogs/latest-news/news/civil-engineers-think-there-are-lessons-to-learn-from-grenfell/

  •  14/06/22
    Analysis: The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has highlighted the latest Construction Skills Network (CSN) report, which warns of the substantial recruitment and training challenges facing the construction industry—over a quarter of a million extra construction workers may be needed by 2026 to support the UK’s industry growth.
    https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/construction-industry-research-reports/construction-skills-network-csn/#overview

  • 14/06/22
    Consultation: The British Standards Institution (BSI) has launched a new Consultation on its 'Draft PAS 2080 PAS 2080:2022 Carbon management in buildings and infrastructure'.  The Consultation runs until 11th July 2022.
    https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2021-01435#/section

  • 10/06/22
    Consultation: The UK Government (DLUHC) has opened a consultation to explore the ways to best protect social housing residents from the dangers of poor electrical safety. DLUHC is consulting on mandating electrical safety inspections and testing in social homes and is calling for evidence on requirements for owner-occupier leasehold properties in social housing blocks. The consultation closes on 31 August 2022.
    Read more here

  • 09/06/22
    Consultation: The UK Government (DLUHC) has opened a consultation on the proposed Higher Risk Buildings (Descriptions and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations which complete the definition of ‘higher-risk building’ for the new building safety regime. The consultation does not, however, relate to buildings included in the leaseholder protection scheme or the building remediation funds. The consultation closes at 11.45 pm on 21 July 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-higher-risk-buildings-descriptions-and-supplementary-provisions-regulations

  • 07/06/22
    Policy: The UK Government (DLUHC) has confirmed that it is amending Approved Document B, or the Building Regulation’s guidance, to meet the Phase One recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry for the provision of Secure Information Boxes and Evacuation Alert Systems. These amendments were previously announced alongside the government’s news that it was continuing to review Approved Document B and that it was extending the combustible cladding ban. The DLUHC has published the technical details of what the amendments entail in a circular letter and the amendments themselves.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/approved-document-b-2022-amendments-circular-022022

  • 06/06/22
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has published the full outcome for the ‘Technical review of Approved Document B of the Building Regulations: a call for evidence’ Consultation. The outcome includes a 2022 progress update, a workplan, and an analysis of responses to the call for evidence.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/technical-review-of-approved-document-b-of-the-building-regulations-a-call-for-evidence

  • 06/06/22
    The UK Government (DLUHC) has announced, following the conclusion of a review and consultation, the introduction of regulations to extend the scope of the ban on combustible materials used in and on the external walls of buildings over 18 metres in height. Additionally, the government has introduced provisions in the guidance to the building regulations to set clear, strong and proportionate standards of fire safety for residential buildings between 11 metres and 18 metres in height.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-the-ban-on-the-use-of-combustible-materials-in-and-on-the-external-walls-of-buildings
     
  • 01/06/22
    Closed Consultation: Fire safety: risk prioritisation in existing buildings – a call for evidence.   The original documentation on the outcome of the Consultation was published in January 2020 and recently amended on 1st June 2022. The document presented a high-level summary of responses received to the call for evidence on commissioning research to develop the evidence base on fire safety risk in buildings. This work has informed the policy development of the Department and supports the ongoing full technical review of Approved Document B.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-safety-risk-prioritisation-in-existing-buildings-a-call-for-evidence

  • 01/06/22
    Closed Consultation: Review of the ban on the use of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings.   The original documentation on the outcome of the Consultation was published in January 2020 and recently amended on 1st June 2022. The Consultation sought views on the ban of the use of combustible materials in and on external walls of buildings.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-the-ban-on-the-use-of-combustible-materials-in-and-on-the-external-walls-of-buildings

    01/06/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/603 Building etc (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022
    These Regulations are made to amend and refine the ban on combustible materials that was introduced by the Building (Amendment) Regulations 2018, SI 2018/1230. They also introduce a ban on the use of certain metal composite materials in the external walls of all buildings in England. These Regulations come into force on 1 December 2022.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/603/made

  • 01/06/22
    Bill: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill. The Bill is due its second reading on 8th June 2022 and is intended to makes provision for the setting of 'levelling-up' missions and reporting on progress in delivering them and related governance on a local as well as national level. It sets out significant reform of the planning system, including changes to developer contributions, environmental assessment, data, the preparation of local plans, heritage, decision-making enforcement and compulsory purchase The first reading was on 11th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3155

  • 01/06/22
    Closed Consultation: Sprinklers and other fire safety measures in new high-rise blocks of flats.  The original documentation on the outcome of the Consultation was published in September 2019 and recently amended on 1st June 2022.  The Consultation sought views on the UK Government's plans to amend Building Regulations, Approved Document B, to reduce the trigger height at which sprinkler systems would be required in new high-rise blocks of flats and asks for views on the trigger height options.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/sprinklers-and-other-fire-safety-measures-in-new-high-rise-blocks-of-flats

  • 01/6/22
    Analysis: The UK Government (BEIS) has published its latest update on building materials and components statistics for May 2022 and accompanying commentary. The statistics provide information on selected building materials, including monthly data on price indices, bricks, cement and concrete blocks.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/building-materials-and-components-statistics-may-2022

  • 01/06/22
    Policy: The Future Homes Hub has commissioned the Good Homes Alliance (GHA) to write an accompanying user guide to the new Building Regulations, Approved Document Part O: Overheating, which is due to come into effect on June 15th 2022.
    https://goodhomes.org.uk/news/part-o-guide

  • 01/6/22
    Consultation: Welsh Government Apprenticeship Framework Pathway. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced a public Consultation on a new 'Construction Plant Operations Apprenticeship Framework Pathway' at CQFW Level 3 for Wales. The Consultation runs until 14th June 2022.
    https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/news-events-and-blogs/welsh-government-apprenticeship-framework-pathways-consultation/

  • 31/05/22
    Guidance: REHVA publishes a new guide to building retrofitting: 'Energy Efficient Renovation of Existing Buildings for HVAC professionals', which provides strategies and recommendations for retrofitting existing buildings, focusing on HVAC systems.
    https://www.rehva.eu/news/article/new-guidebook-32-is-out

  • 31/05/22
    News: Britishvolt is set to build a £200m, cutting-edge battery technology centre in the West Midlands.
    In a boost for energy storage, the new facility is expected to lead the development of new battery cell formats and chemistries to create higher performance, production-ready, batteries of the future.
    https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2022/05/31/britishvolt-to-build-200m-battery-tech-centre/

  • 30/05/22
    Guidance: The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has published its revised 'Code of Practice for Project Management for the Built Environment' (6th edition). The guide has been updated so project management practices reflect current issues such as sustainability, net zero and energy efficiency objectives.
    https://www.ciob.org/news/new-edition-of-the-code-of-practice-for-project-management-for-construction-professionals-out-now

  • 27/05/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/592 The Green Gas Support Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These Regulations amend the Green Gas Support Scheme Regulations 2021 (“the 2021 Regulations”), which established the Green Gas Support Scheme (“the GGSS”).

    The GGSS is a renewable heat incentive scheme to facilitate and encourage the production of biomethane by anaerobic digestion, for injection into the gas grid. The Regulation was laid before Parliament on the 27th May 2022 and is due to come into force on 1st July 2022
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/592/made

    27/05/22
    Policy: The Building Performance Network (BPN) is  working with the 'Future Homes Hub' to prepare guidance for housebuilders on the changes to the Building Regulations, Approved Documents Parts F, L, and also the new Parts O & S.
    https://building-performance.network/news/bpn-working-with-the-future-homes-hub

  • 27/05/22
    Guidance: The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has published a new report titled ‘Building to net zero: costing carbon in construction’, which examines how to improve sustainability of the built environment in the UK. Five broad themes are addressed: (1) accounting methods for embodied and whole life carbon, (2) the use of low-carbon building materials, (3) government procurement of buildings, (4) issues surrounding retrofit and reuse, and (5) the skills and training required to delivered sustainable construction.
    http://committees.parliament.uk/publications/22427/documents/165446/default/

  • 26/05/22
    Bills: Healthy Homes Bill
    This Bill makes provision for the delivery of healthy homes and neighbourhoods; to set out the principles that define a “healthy home”; to establish the office of the Healthy Homes Commissioner; and for connected purposes.  The Bill received its first reading on 26th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3171

  • 26/05/22
    News: Dame Judith Hackitt headlines the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)’s first 'Safer Buildings UK' event. Industry experts and UK Government ministers outlined plans to implement the Building Safety Act.
    https://www.ciob.org/news/peter-baker-and-dame-judith-hackitt-headline-ciob%E2%80%99s-first-safer-buildings-uk-event

  • 26/05/22
    Policy: RICS joins launch of WorldGBC’s EU Policy Whole Life Carbon Roadmap
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has supported the development of the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) EU Policy Whole Life Carbon Roadmap (launched on 24th May 2022, which aims to address the whole life carbon impact of the built environment.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/rics-joins-launch-of-eu-policy-roadmap-for-climate-neutral-buildings-by-2050/

  • 26/05/22
    Analysis: Scottish Government publishes climate change reports. The Scottish Government has published the second annual statutory monitoring report for 2022 on the Climate Change Plan and the third annual progress report for 2022 on the Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019 to 2024.
    Climate Change Plan: monitoring reports 2022
    Climate Change adaptation programme: progress report 2022  

  • 25/05/22
    Bills: Climate and Ecology Bill. This Private Member's Bill had its first reading on 25th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3170

  • 25/05/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/564 Building (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2022
    These Regulations are made to amend the Building Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2214 and the Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2215 to apply the new metric for the measurement of energy efficiency in the form of a target primary energy rate to new dwellings. Previously, primary energy consumption rates applied to buildings other than dwellings. These Regulations come into force on 23 November 2022.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2022/564/made
     
  • 25/05/22
    Legislation: The Building Safety Act 2022 (Commencement No.1, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2022 (the 2022 Regulations)
    The 2022 Regulations make provision for various sections of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) to come into force later this year.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/561/contents/made
    Analysis of the key points of the Building Safety Act 2022, prepared by Lexis Nexis (PDF): https://www.bsria.com/doc/nypvNr/

  • 25/05/22
    Policy: The Construction Leadership Council (CIC) sets out plan to ease impact of construction inflation that are hitting companies across the construction sector.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/clc-acts-to-ease-impact-of-construction-inflation/

  • 25/05/22
    Analysis: ARUP publishes new study on offshore wind and provides the first illustrative framework on how the UK could deploy sufficient offshore wind to meet net zero targets.
    https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/arup-study-illustrates-scale-of-potential-for-the-development-of-uk-offshore-wind

  • 24/5/22
    Bill: Domestic Premises (Electrical Safety Certificate) Bill. A Private Member's Bill requiring an electrical safety certificate to be provided to a prospective purchaser of domestic premises in specified circumstances. The first reading was on 24th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3166

  • 24/05/22
    Policy: The UK Government (BEIS) announces recipients of Phase 3a of Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.  BEIS has published a list of projects funded in the first Phase 3 application window, Phase 3a, of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, as well as the summaries of all projects funded. 160 public sector organisations have been awarded grants for 217 energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects, with over £500m awarded in total across all the projects.
    Read more here

  • 24/5/22
    Consultation: The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) launched a public consultation on a new 'Built Environment Carbon Database', which runs from 24th of May to 24th June 2022. The Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) is intended to be the main source of carbon estimating and benchmarking for the UK construction sector.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/consultation-built-environment-carbon-database-closing-date-24-june-2022.html

  • 24/5/22
    Policy: The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) have published a report, titled ‘Rising to the climate change challenge: The role of housing and planning within local councils’. The Report examines the importance of local councils dealing with climate change, highlighting their responsibilities in relation to housing and planning.
    https://tcpa.org.uk/rising-to-the-climate-change-challenge-the-role-of-housing-and-planning-within-local-councils/

  • 23/05/22
    News: BRE announces pilot scheme with Croudace Homes to test net zero homes in time for Future Homes Standard
    Building Research Establishment (BRE), the world-leading building science centre, has today announced a pilot scheme in partnership with regional residential developer, Croudace Homes, to evaluate the environmental and societal impact of homes, ahead of the Future Homes Standard.
    https://bregroup.com/news/bre-announces-pilot-scheme-with-croudace-homes-to-test-net-zero-homes-in-time-for-future-homes-standard/

  • 23/05/22
    Policy: Boiler Upgrade Scheme open to grant applications and payments. The UK Government (BEIS) has announced that its Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is now open to grant applications and payments. The scheme aims to encourage property owners to install low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps. It is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales and runs from 2022 until 2025. The scheme replaces the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
    Read more here

  • 23/05/22
    Policy: Scottish Government launches £25m fund to reduce emissions and cut waste.  The Scottish Government has launched the Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund to encourage ideas which accelerate the development of low carbon services, products or technologies. The fund aims to reduce emissions and cut the country's carbon footprint through manufacturing and will run until 2025–2026
    https://www.gov.scot/news/encouraging-manufacturing-innovation/

  • 20/05/22
    Guidance: The UK Government (BEIS), ARUP and CIBSE jointly published 'AM17: Heat pumps for large non-domestic building' offering free guidance on installing heat pumps.
    https://www.cibse.org/news-and-policy/may-2022/cibse-and-beis-launch-new-free-guidance-for-large

  • 20/05/22
    The UK Government (BEIS) has published a joint statement with the US following the second meeting of the Strategic Energy Dialogue, the primary bilateral forum that aims to enhance co-operation in support of shared energy security and resilience objectives, net zero, clean energy and joint leadership priorities across multilateral energy forums.
    Read more here

  • 19/05/22
    Bill: The Procurement Bill. The UK Government introduced the Procurement Bill for its First Reading in Parliament on 11 May 2022, following over two years of policy development.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3159

  • 19/05/22
    Bill: Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill. A Private Member's Bill on establishing clean air as a human right and mandating the UK Government to address the issues of air quality in England and Wales. The first reading was on 19th May and the second one is due on 24th June 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3161/

  • 19/05/22
    Policy: The Scottish Government has launched a £100m Scottish Central Government Energy Efficiency Grant scheme to help cut down carbon footprint. The funding is aimed at helping public bodies reduce emissions and install low and zero carbon heat systems in buildings.
    https://www.gov.scot/news/public-bodies-emissions-reduce/

  • 19/05/22
    Closed Consultation: The Environment Agency (EA) has published its response to the outcome of its Consultation on its draft flood risk management plans (FRMPs) for the period 2021–2027. The Consultation ran between October 2021 and January 2022.
    Read more here

  • 18/05/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/547 Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. These Regulations amend the duties of the responsible person/s for building safety as outlined in the 'Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (“the Fire Safety Order”). Amongst the changes are responsibilities for more signage, provision of instructions, equipment testing, more information provision about fire doors and closer communications with fire authorities. This Regulation was laid before Parliament on 18th May 2022 and will come into force on 23rd January 2023.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/QWGs0e19/

  • 18/05/22
    Policy: The UK Government (BEIS) has launched Phase 3 of its Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund that makes £14m of grant funding available for the financial year 2022–2023. The Fund aims to provide grants for public sector organisations to engage the specialist advice and skills needed to develop existing, or to put in place, heat decarbonisation plans. Phase 3 of the Fund opens for applications on 15 June 2022.
    Read more here

  • 18/05/22
    Policy: The European Commission has released details on how it aims to implement REPowerEU, a €300 billion plan to eliminate Russian gas imports by 2027. This includes a package of communications, strategies and legislative proposals.
    https://www.rehva.eu/news/article/repowereu-package-of-proposals-released
     
  • 18/05/22
    Consultation: The UK Government (Home Office) has published the outcome of its consultation on personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) in high-rise residential buildings, which ran between 8 June to 19 July 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/personal-emergency-evacuation-plans?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=83681a81-295e-4639-b1b4-a2eea62fb9ed&utm_content=daily

  • 18/05/22
    Analysis: The Crown Estate in the United Kingdom has published its tenth annual Offshore Wind Report providing insight into the UK’s offshore wind sector throughout 2021. The report highlights strong progress by the UK offshore wind industry in meeting an accelerated demand for renewable electricity to achieve wider net zero aims.
    https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/en-gb/media-and-insights/news/2022-the-crown-estate-s-2021-offshore-wind-report-reveals-uk-industry-united-in-race-to-net-zero/

  • 18/05/22
    Guidance: The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has welcomed the publication of a new 'Installer Pilot' report which sets out the current state of competence arrangements for those installing products and systems in buildings. The report was prepared by the members of Working Group 2, set up as part of the post-Grenfell Competence Steering Group, who collaborated with a range of industry sectors, including Domestic Plumbing and Heating, Dry Lining, Fire Detection and Alarms, Fire Stopping Specialist, Rainscreen Cladding, and Roofing, to benchmark existing competence arrangement.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/competence-framework-installer-pilot-report-published/

  • 18/05/22
    Policy: The Welsh Government announces its independent review into flooding in Wales in the winter of 2021–2022 to help the country prepare for climate change.
    https://gov.wales/independent-review-floods-announced-help-wales-adapt-climate-change

  • 17/05/22
    Policy: The UK Government (DLUHC) has published its response to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Select Committee’s reports of 26 April 2021 and 7 March 2022, which followed its inquiries into cladding remediation and building safety remediation and funding in England. In the response, the DLUHC replies to the LUHC Committee’s conclusions and recommendations on several points including the costs for leaseholders, the wider impacts of the cladding crisis and its guidance on building safety.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-remediation-and-funding-government-response-to-the-select-committee-reports
     
  • 16/05/22
    Policy: The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has published its latest Business Plan, announcing that it will be investing over £233m across Britain to support construction-related training throughout 2022–23. The investment responds to the estimated demand for an additional 50,000 workers every year and is primarily focused on securing construction’s talent pipeline.
    https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/news-events-and-blogs/citb-to-invest-over-233m-in-british-construction/
     
  • 16/05/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/draft
    The Construction Contracts (England) Exclusion Order 2022. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced details relating to the Construction Contracts (England) Exclusion Order 2022, noting the statutory instrument was laid before the House of Commons and the House of Lords on 11 May 2022. The statutory instrument is set to come into force from 1 October 2022
    Read more here

  • 16/05/22
    Policy: The World Green Building Council launches Circularity Accelerator. The World Green Building Council has launched the Circularity Accelerator, a global programme focused on accelerating the adoption of the circular economy and resource efficiency principles in the building and construction sector. The programme convenes over 70 Green Building Councils and their 36,000 members in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement with the aim to tackle the climate and resource impact of the built environment, which is said to be accelerating the climate and biodiversity crisis.
    https://www.worldgbc.org/news-media/worldgbc-launches-circularity-accelerator-groundbreaking-global-programme-advance

  • 16/05/22
    Policy: The Council of the EU has announced the adoption of the revised Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation. The Council has said that 'the new rules aim to modernise, decarbonise and interconnect member states’ cross-border energy infrastructures in order to help the EU achieve its 2050 climate neutrality objectives' as well as aim to continue to ensuring market integration, competitiveness and security of supply.
    https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/05/16/ten-e-council-gives-green-light-to-new-rules-for-cross-border-energy-infrastructure/

  • 14/05/22
    Analysis: The UK Government (BEIS and ONS) has published its latest construction industry statistics. Monthly construction output increased by 1.7% in volume terms in March 2022; this is the fifth consecutive monthly growth and a record high in monthly level terms (£14,994 million) since monthly records began in January 2010.
    Read more here

  • 13/05/22
    Policy: RIBA, RICs and other industry bodies have formed a coalition to create the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard for verifying UK buildings as net zero carbon.
    RICS press release
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/coalition-of-leading-industry-bodies-join-forces-to-develop-uk-net-zero-carbon-buildings-standard
    Coalition home page
    https://www.nzcbuildings.co.uk/?utm_content=buffer710a1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

  • 13/05/22
    Policy: The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has published its response to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. TCPA has called for consolidation of planning law and the creation of a planning framework to allow sustainable community development.
    https://tcpa.org.uk/the-levelling-up-and-regeneration-bill-a-decisive-shift-of-power-to-whitehall/

  • 13/05/22
    Policy: The UK Government (BEIS) opens £120m fund to support nuclear energy projects. The 'Future Nuclear Enabling Fund (FNEF)' aims to support development of innovative nuclear energy projects, stimulate competition in the industry and unlock investment across the UK. The FNEF forms part of the UK’s objective to approve eight new reactors by 2030, which the British Energy Security Strategy committed to in April 2022.
    Read more here

  • Policy: The UK Government(BEIS) has launched a Heat Networks Zoning pilot programme. The scheme to understand how to develop heat network zones that provide low carbon heat to consumers at the lowest cost. The pilot programme launch follows BEIS' consultation on implementing heat network zones which ran from October to November 2021.
    Read more here

  • 12/05/22
    Closed Consultation: Welsh Government has published its response to the outcome of its Building Regulations Consultation on Approved Documents Parts L and F.  The Government aims to improve the energy efficiency requirements for non-domestic buildings and overheating in new dwellings in Wales.The Consultation ran from 25th October 2021 to 17th January 2022.
    https://gov.wales/building-regulations-part-l-and-f-review-stage-2b

  • 12/05/22
    Policy: The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) launches its '2025 Strategy to accelerate change towards critical 2030 date' for carbon reduction. The UKGBC 2025 Strategy sets out a shared industry ambition and industry targets which indicate what must be achieved by 2025 based in its 'Whole Life Net Zero Carbon Roadmap', which was published in 2021.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-launches-2025-strategy-to-accelerate-change-towards-critical-2030-date/

  • 11/05/22
    Bill: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill. This Bill had its first reading on 11th May 2022.The Bill is intended to makes provision for the setting of 'levelling-up' missions and reporting on progress in delivering them and related governance on a local as well as national level.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3155
    Government details:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/levelling-up-and-regeneration-bill

  • 12/05/22
    Policy: The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published its 2022/23 Annual Operating Plan and unveiled a new ‘2025 Strategy’ which sets out a shared industry ambition and industry targets to help tackle the climate emergency.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-launches-2025-strategy-to-accelerate-change-towards-critical-2030-date/

  • 11/05/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/draft: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These Regulations impose duties on landlords of residential premises in respect of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, including those who provide social housing. This Regulation was laid before Parliament on 11th May 2022 and will come into force on 1st October 2022.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/fGKifUNj/

  • 11/05/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/draft: The Construction Contracts (England) Exclusion Order 2022. The Order excludes construction contracts which are ‘for the delivery of a direct procurement for customers project’ from Part II of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/xqWzvKiq/

  • 11/05/22
    Closed Consultation: Market-based mechanism for low carbon heat. The UK Government (BEIS) has published the outcome of its Consultation on introducing a market-based mechanism for low-carbon heat, which ran from October 2021 to January 2022. The Consultation sought views on proposals which could support the development of the UK market for low-carbon electric heat pumps by creating a market incentive to grow the numbers of heat pumps installed in existing premises each year.
    Read more here

  • 10/5/22
    Guidance: ICE and BSI launch revised standard to map underground utilities
    ICE sponsored the revised British Standards Institute (BSI) standard PAS 128, which specifies how to detect, verify and locate new and existing underground utilities, such as water, sewer, and electric.
    https://www.ice.org.uk/news-insight/news-and-blogs/latest-news/news/ice-and-bsi-launch-revised-pas-128/
     
  • 10/05/22
    Policy: The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published a report on the value of nature-based solutions (NBS) in the global response to climate change. The report provides a new framework to support industry recognise and capture the benefit NBS can provide across urban developments. The report also provides guidance to support built environment stakeholders to communicate the value of NBS.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-report-reveals-the-significant-value-of-nature-based-solutions/
     
  • 09/05/22
    Closed Consultation: The Scottish Government has published its analysis of the building regulations compliance and enforcement consultation, which ran between 11 November 2021 and 9 February 2022. Overall, the consultation responses saw strong support for the creation of a Compliance Plan Manager (CPM) role on new buildings which can be defined as High Risk Buildings (HRBs).
    https://consult.gov.scot/building-standards/highriskbuildingcompliance/

  • 09/05/22
    Closed Consultation: Ofgem publishes the outcome of its Hydrogen Village Trial Consultation, which ran from March to April 2022. Based on the outcome, Ofgem has decided to fund two detailed design studies under the RIIO-GD2 Net Zero Pre-Construction and Small Projects (NZASP). Ofgem approved funding of £9.1m.
    Read more here

  • 09/05/22
    Policy: Ofgem and Innovate UK announce challenge areas for second SIF funding round. Ofgem and Innovate UK have announced four challenge areas for the second round of innovation funding under the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF). The SIF is a five-year programme which has pledged up to £450m to promote energy network innovation by funding innovative projects with the potential to accelerate the UK’s energy transition to net zero at the lowest cost to consumers.
    Read more here

  • 06/05/22
    Guidance: Ofgem publishes two guidance on  Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) for installers and property owners. The documents are for installers wishing to take part in the BUS and for property owners wishing to install a BUS funded heat pump or biomass boiler. They set out which low carbon heat technologies and properties are eligible, the role of the installer and property owner in the voucher application and voucher redemption processes, how to find an installer that can make an application on the property owner’s behalf, what is required from the property owner, and Ofgem’s audit and compliance powers.
    Guidance for installers
    Guidance for building owners

  • 09/05/22
    Closed Consultation: Scottish Government publishes its response to the outcome of its Building Regulations Compliance Consultation. The Consultation consultation which ran between 11 November 2021 and 9 February 2022 and sought views on introducing a 'Compliance Plan Manager' (CPM) role to monitor fire safety compliance in newly built so-called 'high risk' buildings.
    https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-regulations-compliance-enforcement-analysis-consultation-responses/
     
  • 06/05/22
    Closed Consultation. The Welsh Government has published the summary of responses and Government response to the consultation on plans to improve the energy efficiency requirements for non-domestic buildings and overheating in new dwellings. According to the Welsh Government, there were 35 responses to the consultation.The Welsh Government recognised the concerns in connection with overheating in existing homes and conversions into homes and intends to consider if conversions or extensive energy retrofits should also be covered within the overheating requirements.
    https://gov.wales/building-regulations-part-l-and-f-review-stage-2b

  • 06/05/22
    Analysis: The UK Government (BEIS) has published the building materials and components statistics for April 2022 and accompanying commentary. The statistics provide information on selected building materials, including monthly data on price indices, bricks, cement and concrete blocks.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/building-materials-and-components-statistics-april-2022

  • 04/5/33
    Analysis: The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published a new guide: 'Delivering Net Zero: Key considerations for Commercial Retrofit’, which defines retrofit types and highlights the benefits which retrofits can deliver.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-publishes-guide-to-accelerate-industry-action-on-commercial-retrofit/

  • 03/5/22
    Consultation: The Scottish Government has published the summary of responses to its consultation on the regulation of energy efficiency in existing non-domestic buildings. Fourteen responses were received from various groups including the Association for Decentralised Energy, the Climate Emergency Response Group, the Energy Savings Trust and Scottish Power.
    https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-responses-call-evidence-regulation-energy-efficiency-existing-non-domestic-buildings/
     
  • 03/05/22
    Policy: BRE announces new project with BEIS to modernise home energy rating scheme in time for Future Homes Standard.
    The new methodology – ‘SAP 11’ – will be more suited to technologies designed to decarbonise homes, such as heat pumps, renewables and smart technologies.
    https://bregroup.com/press-releases/bre-announces-new-project-with-beis-to-modernise-home-energy-rating-scheme-in-time-for-future-homes-standard/

  • 03/05/22
    Analysis: The Construction Products Association (CPA) has published its quarterly forecast for Spring 2022. The CPA forecast sees a ‘dramatic’ slowing in growth and predicts future uncertainty ahead as global issues begin to affect the UK market. The CPA predicts 2.8% growth in construction output, down from 4.3% growth last quarter.
    https://www.constructionproducts.org.uk/news-media-events/news/2022/may/construction-activity-buoyant-but-strong-headwinds-coming-warns-construction-products-association/

  • 01/05/22
    Policy: The Future Homes Hub has commissioned the Good Homes Alliance (GHA) to write an accompanying user guide to Approved Document Part O: Overheating, ready for June 15th 2022 when the regulation goes live in England.
    https://goodhomes.org.uk/news/part-o-guide

  • 28/4/22
    Bill: Building Safety Bill
    This Bill finally reached the stage of  Royal Assent  in the House of Lords on 27th April and became an Act on 28th April, 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021

  • 28/4/22
    News: The Construction Leadership Council (CIC) has published an update to its sector-wide skills plan for construction and the built environment. Organisations can get behind the plan by supporting the initiatives, including Apprenticeships, T-Levels, traineeships, skills bootcamps and 'Talent View Construction'.
    https://cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2022-04-28-construction-skills-plan

  • 27/4/22
    Bill: Air Pollution (Local Authority Audits) Bill
    A Private Members' Bill to make provision for local authorities to conduct annual audits of air pollution in their area and associated emissions by public and private entities; to require those local authorities to prepare reports on those audits; to require the Secretary of State to report annually to Parliament on those audit reports; and for connected purposes.This Bill had its first reading on 2nd February 2022 and is due its second reading on 6th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3105

  • 27/4/22
    Policy: The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) published its Low Carbon Concrete Routemap written in collaboration with the Green Construction Board and the Institution of Civil Engineers. A key recommendation proposed in the report is a standardised carbon rating system for concrete structures.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/low-carbon-concrete-routemap-published/

  • 26/4/22
    Legislation: The Building Safety Bill (the Bill) returned to the House of Commons on 20 April 2022, for consideration by the Commons of the amendments made to the Bill by the House of Lords. Members of the Commons engaged in nuanced debate over the provisions of the Bill, ultimately voting to change some of the significant amendments made by the Lords.
    https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-04-20/debates/B6A1C824-4B94-48C5-9F3C-F09996D611B8/BuildingSafetyBill#main-content

  • 26/4/22
    Policy: The UK Government (BEIS) has allocated a share of £300m to five Local Net Zero Hubs as part of Phase 2 of the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Scheme. The LAD Scheme pledges a total of £500m to local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of low-income households.
    Read more here

  • 26/4/22
    Analysis: The British Standards Institution has released its latest annual Net Zero Barometer Report. The Report shows that almost half (49%) of UK senior decision makers are prioritising growth in their organization while one in five (20%) are prioritizing the reduction of carbon emissions.
    Read more here

  • 27/4/22
    Analysis: The Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) has co-authored a White Paper: 'How Finance and Digital Twins Can Shape a Better Future for the Planet'.  CDBB has spearheaded the the development of the U.K.’s national digital twin project, and is now seeking to
    demonstrate how digital twins can add valve to sectors, such as the finance industry.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/resources/publications/how-finance-and-digital-twins-can-shape-better-future-planet
     
  • 25/4/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/467  
    Emissions Performance Standard (Amendment) Regulations 2022
     These Regulations amend the Emissions Performance Standard Regulations 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”) (S.I. 2015/933) to update certain definitions that apply in respect of the monitoring and enforcement of the emissions performance standard in England. This regulation was laid before Parliament on 25th April 2022 and is due to come into force on 17th May 2022.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/wugIi3xC/
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/467/made

  • 22/4/22
    Legislation: SSI 2022/136  
    The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022
    These new Regulations ban developers from using combustible cladding on high-rise domestic and other high-risk buildings over 11 metres as well as from using highest risk metal composite cladding in any new buildings of any height. This regulation was introduced on 14th March, laid before Parliament on 22nd March 2022 and came into force on 4th April 2022.
    https://www.gov.scot/news/ban-on-combustible-cladding/

  • 21/4/22
    Analysis: Turner & Townsend has published its market forecasts and suggests that the UK construction sector is experiencing soaring inflation exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine. Businesses should therefore focus on securing a resilient supply chain.
    https://www.acenet.co.uk/news/industry/turner-townsend-raises-inflation-forecasts-to-8-5/

  • 14/4/22
    Policy: The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published an update on the progress of building safety improvements in Wales, having worked closely with the Welsh government to develop their building safety policies. The update summarises the Welsh government’s proposals for a new building safety regulatory framework that will incorporate aspects of the Building Safety Bill, the development of a building safety fund policy in Wales, and the introduction of a leaseholder protection scheme designed to support leaseholders whose properties are affected by fire safety issues.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/safer-buildings-in-wales-update/

  • 13/4/22
    Analysis: BSRIA has partnered with BESA to produce a topic guide on refrigeration and the use of refrigerants gases in building services. The twin imperatives of climate change and carbon neutrality has driven the need for regulatory change, greater understanding of the impact of refrigerant gases on the environment and practical advice on use of low-global-warming potential refrigerants.
    https://www.bsria.com/uk/news/article/bsria_and_besa_publish_refrigerant_guide_at_crucial_time_/
    https://www.thebesa.com/news/besa-and-bsria-refrigerant-guide-published-at-crucial-time/

  • 13/4/22
    News: Homebuilders agree to put £2bn towards fixing unsafe cladding on high rises in England. More than 35 homebuilders have agreed to put £2bn towards fixing unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings in England identified in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/13/homebuilders-agree-pay-towards-fixing-unsafe-cladding-high-rises-grenfell-gove

  • 13/4/22
    Policy: The UK Government's Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced a wide-ranging agreement, in terms of which several major housebuilders will contribute £5bn toward rectification of building safety issues, and remediate all buildings of 11 metres and above in height that they were involved in developing in the last 30 years.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/agreement-with-major-developers-to-fund-building-safety-repairs

  • 13/4/22
    Policy: The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Buildings Client Group (BCG) have announced a new partnership to drive digital adoption. The BCG was established by the Centre for Digital Built Britain as a partner in the Construction Innovation Hub in January 2020 and its group members comprise directors and decision makers from across the property sector engaged in digital transformation
    https://www.ciob.org/news/ciob-and-the-buildings-client-group-develop-a-new-partnership-to-drive-digital-adoption

  • 12/4/22
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) has launched two consultations seeking views on carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) in relation to the industrial carbon capture (ICC) business model and the dispatchable power agreement (DPA) business model.
    Carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS): Industrial Carbon Capture business model
    Read more here
    Carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS): Dispatchable Power Agreement business model
    Read more here

  • 11/4/22
    News: The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has announced a decrease in monthly construction output by 0.1%, in volume terms, in February 2022, which was the first monthly decrease since October 2021, following a 1.6% increase in January 2022
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/monthly-construction-output-decreases-by-0-1

  • 8/4/22
    Consultation: Hydrogen Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund: market engagement on electrolytic allocation. The UK Government (BEIS) is seeking views on a proposed approach to allocating Hydrogen Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund support through a joint allocation process for electrolytic hydrogen projects. The Consultation runs from 8th April until 6th May 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hydrogen-business-model-and-net-zero-hydrogen-fund-market-engagement-on-electrolytic-allocation

  • 8/4/22
    Closed Consultation: Designing the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. The Consultation results were published in August 2021 and the final outcome updated in April 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/designing-the-net-zero-hydrogen-fund

  • 8/4/22
    Closed Consultation: Designing a UK low carbon hydrogen standard. The Consultation results were published in August 2021 and the final outcome updated in April 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/designing-a-uk-low-carbon-hydrogen-standard

  • 8/4/22
    Policy: The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced £375m of funding in support of innovative energy technologies to power British homes and businesses and to strengthen Britain’s energy security. This includes £240m of funding to support hydrogen production as a clean and low-cost energy technology that will be awarded towards the end of 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-unveils-investment-for-energy-technologies-of-the-future
    The Hydrogen Investor Roadmap
    http://bit.ly/38Ghz5r
    BEIS hydrogen funding strategy detail
    http://bit.ly/3NW5pW3

  • 8/4/22
    Analysis: The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) has published its sixth ‘State of the World’ report, which highlights the increasing pace of technological change in the global engineering, construction and infrastructure sectors, which is ‘faster than ever before’
    https://fidic.org/node/36490

  • 8/4/22
    Policy: The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that it will be making an infrastructure investment of £30m as part of the Live Labs 2 competition to support innovative sustainable infrastructure proposals for highways in the United Kingdom.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-invests-in-innovation-with-30-million-for-cutting-edge-highway-decarbonisation-projects

  • 8/4/22
    Policy: Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Bellway and others sign up to voluntary DLUHC Fire Safety Pledge, initiated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), in relation to historical cladding and fire safety issues on building projects in which they were involved.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-new-plan-to-protect-leaseholders-and-make-industry-pay-for-the-cladding-crisis

  • 7/4/22
    News: The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has responded to the latest construction PMI data for March 2022, warning that the rise in construction output, the highest since August 2021, 'masks falling optimism and a drop in residential construction activity'
    https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/rise-in-construction-output-masks-falling-optimism.html
    The PMI data for March 2022
    http://www.markiteconomics.com/Public/Home/PressRelease/c43a0d2bd7e1467882d64ffd17b2f1b8

  • 7/4/22
    Guidance: The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has completed its trilogy of free guides designed to help building owners and managers improve air quality.
    https://www.thebesa.com/iaq

  • 7/4/22
    Guidance: CIBSE and LETI launch industry FAQs on Net Zero Operational Carbon. The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) have launched new guidance on delivering net zero carbon buildings.
    https://www.cibse.org/news-and-policy/april-2022/cibse-and-leti-launch-industry-faqs-on-net-zero-op
     
  • 6/4/22
    News: The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the British Council have announced the launch of the Open Door project, aimed at celebrating outstanding architecture conservation work in the UK and China.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/riba-and-british-council-to-celebrate-heritage-conservation-in-china-and-uk\

  • 5/4/22
    Legislation: The Building Safety Bill (the Bill) has completed its progress through the House of Lords, with the report stage concluding on 29 March 2022, and the third reading taking place on 4 April 2022. At the report stage, the Lords passed several significant amendments to the Bill. The amendments included the removal of the ‘building safety manager’ role from the higher-risk building regime. These amendments are scheduled to be considered by the House of Lords on 20th April 2022
    https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2022/january-2022/lords-debates-building-safety-bill2/
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021/stages
    Building Safety Bill Government Factsheets:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-bill-factsheets

  • 5/4/22
    Policy: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has updated its guidance on remediation of non-ACM buildings. The DLUHC has now updated the fund application and social sector grants guidance, prospectus and technical information.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings

  • 5/4/22
    Guidance: UK BIM Alliance State of the Nation survey.  In a bid to continue to measure the understanding and adoption of information management using BIM across the UK built environment, the UK BIM Alliance have launched its annual State of the Nation Survey.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/uk-bim-alliance-state-of-the-nation-survey.html
     
  • 5/4/22
    News: The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has announced that an additional five companies have signed up to join CO2nstruct Zero. The new Business Champions are Cara, Civco, Naylor Industries, Timloc Building Products and Tilbury Douglas. They join HS2, currently delivering the UK's largest infrastructure project, and more than eighty other organisations as signatories.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/five-more-firms-join-co2nstruct-zero/

  • 4/4/22
    Policy: The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published Working Group III's report, titled 'Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of climate change', which calls for urgent action on climate change as the window for limiting global warming to 1.5°C is closing fast.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/window-for-climate-action-closing-fast?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=e280dc49-fda3-4dea-884b-b86fb8c37bd7&utm_content=immediately

  • 1/4/22
    Closed ConsultationWarm Home Discount: better targeted support from 2022. The Consultation results were published on June 28th, 2021 and the final outcome updated in April 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/warm-home-discount-better-targeted-support-from-2022
  • 28/4/22
    Bill: Building Safety Bill
    This Bill finally reached the stage of  Royal Assent  in the House of Lords on 27th April and became an Act on 28th April, 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021

  • 28/4/22
    News: The Construction Leadership Council (CIC) has published an update to its sector-wide skills plan for construction and the built environment. Organisations can get behind the plan by supporting the initiatives, including Apprenticeships, T-Levels, traineeships, skills bootcamps and 'Talent View Construction'.
    https://cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2022-04-28-construction-skills-plan

  • 27/4/22
    Bill: Air Pollution (Local Authority Audits) Bill
    A Private Members' Bill to make provision for local authorities to conduct annual audits of air pollution in their area and associated emissions by public and private entities; to require those local authorities to prepare reports on those audits; to require the Secretary of State to report annually to Parliament on those audit reports; and for connected purposes.This Bill had its first reading on 2nd February 2022 and is due its second reading on 6th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3105

  • 27/4/22
    Policy: The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) published its Low Carbon Concrete Routemap written in collaboration with the Green Construction Board and the Institution of Civil Engineers. A key recommendation proposed in the report is a standardised carbon rating system for concrete structures.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/low-carbon-concrete-routemap-published/

  • 26/4/22
    Legislation: The Building Safety Bill (the Bill) returned to the House of Commons on 20 April 2022, for consideration by the Commons of the amendments made to the Bill by the House of Lords. Members of the Commons engaged in nuanced debate over the provisions of the Bill, ultimately voting to change some of the significant amendments made by the Lords.
    https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-04-20/debates/B6A1C824-4B94-48C5-9F3C-F09996D611B8/BuildingSafetyBill#main-content

  • 26/4/22
    Policy: The UK Government (BEIS) has allocated a share of £300m to five Local Net Zero Hubs as part of Phase 2 of the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Scheme. The LAD Scheme pledges a total of £500m to local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of low-income households.
    Read more here

  • 26/4/22
    Analysis: The British Standards Institution has released its latest annual Net Zero Barometer Report. The Report shows that almost half (49%) of UK senior decision makers are prioritising growth in their organization while one in five (20%) are prioritizing the reduction of carbon emissions.
    Read more here

  • 27/4/22
    Analysis: The Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) has co-authored a White Paper: 'How Finance and Digital Twins Can Shape a Better Future for the Planet'.  CDBB has spearheaded the the development of the U.K.’s national digital twin project, and is now seeking to
    demonstrate how digital twins can add valve to sectors, such as the finance industry.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/resources/publications/how-finance-and-digital-twins-can-shape-better-future-planet
     
  • 25/4/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/467  
    Emissions Performance Standard (Amendment) Regulations 2022
     These Regulations amend the Emissions Performance Standard Regulations 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”) (S.I. 2015/933) to update certain definitions that apply in respect of the monitoring and enforcement of the emissions performance standard in England. This regulation was laid before Parliament on 25th April 2022 and is due to come into force on 17th May 2022.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/wugIi3xC/
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/467/made

  • 22/4/22
    Legislation: SSI 2022/136  
    The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022
    These new Regulations ban developers from using combustible cladding on high-rise domestic and other high-risk buildings over 11 metres as well as from using highest risk metal composite cladding in any new buildings of any height. This regulation was introduced on 14th March, laid before Parliament on 22nd March 2022 and came into force on 4th April 2022.
    https://www.gov.scot/news/ban-on-combustible-cladding/

  • 21/4/22
    Analysis: Turner & Townsend has published its market forecasts and suggests that the UK construction sector is experiencing soaring inflation exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine. Businesses should therefore focus on securing a resilient supply chain.
    https://www.acenet.co.uk/news/industry/turner-townsend-raises-inflation-forecasts-to-8-5/

  • 14/4/22
    Policy: The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published an update on the progress of building safety improvements in Wales, having worked closely with the Welsh government to develop their building safety policies. The update summarises the Welsh government’s proposals for a new building safety regulatory framework that will incorporate aspects of the Building Safety Bill, the development of a building safety fund policy in Wales, and the introduction of a leaseholder protection scheme designed to support leaseholders whose properties are affected by fire safety issues.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/safer-buildings-in-wales-update/

  • 13/4/22
    Analysis: BSRIA has partnered with BESA to produce a topic guide on refrigeration and the use of refrigerants gases in building services. The twin imperatives of climate change and carbon neutrality has driven the need for regulatory change, greater understanding of the impact of refrigerant gases on the environment and practical advice on use of low-global-warming potential refrigerants.
    https://www.bsria.com/uk/news/article/bsria_and_besa_publish_refrigerant_guide_at_crucial_time_/
    https://www.thebesa.com/news/besa-and-bsria-refrigerant-guide-published-at-crucial-time/

  • 13/4/22
    News: Homebuilders agree to put £2bn towards fixing unsafe cladding on high rises in England. More than 35 homebuilders have agreed to put £2bn towards fixing unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings in England identified in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/13/homebuilders-agree-pay-towards-fixing-unsafe-cladding-high-rises-grenfell-gove

  • 13/4/22
    Policy: The UK Government's Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced a wide-ranging agreement, in terms of which several major housebuilders will contribute £5bn toward rectification of building safety issues, and remediate all buildings of 11 metres and above in height that they were involved in developing in the last 30 years.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/agreement-with-major-developers-to-fund-building-safety-repairs

  • 13/4/22
    Policy: The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Buildings Client Group (BCG) have announced a new partnership to drive digital adoption. The BCG was established by the Centre for Digital Built Britain as a partner in the Construction Innovation Hub in January 2020 and its group members comprise directors and decision makers from across the property sector engaged in digital transformation
    https://www.ciob.org/news/ciob-and-the-buildings-client-group-develop-a-new-partnership-to-drive-digital-adoption

  • 12/4/22
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) has launched two consultations seeking views on carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) in relation to the industrial carbon capture (ICC) business model and the dispatchable power agreement (DPA) business model.
    Carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS): Industrial Carbon Capture business model
    Read more here
    Carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS): Dispatchable Power Agreement business model
    Read more here

  • 11/4/22
    News: The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has announced a decrease in monthly construction output by 0.1%, in volume terms, in February 2022, which was the first monthly decrease since October 2021, following a 1.6% increase in January 2022
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/monthly-construction-output-decreases-by-0-1

  • 8/4/22
    Consultation: Hydrogen Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund: market engagement on electrolytic allocation. The UK Government (BEIS) is seeking views on a proposed approach to allocating Hydrogen Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund support through a joint allocation process for electrolytic hydrogen projects. The Consultation runs from 8th April until 6th May 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hydrogen-business-model-and-net-zero-hydrogen-fund-market-engagement-on-electrolytic-allocation

  • 8/4/22
    Closed Consultation: Designing the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. The Consultation results were published in August 2021 and the final outcome updated in April 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/designing-the-net-zero-hydrogen-fund

  • 8/4/22
    Closed Consultation: Designing a UK low carbon hydrogen standard. The Consultation results were published in August 2021 and the final outcome updated in April 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/designing-a-uk-low-carbon-hydrogen-standard

  • 8/4/22
    Policy: The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced £375m of funding in support of innovative energy technologies to power British homes and businesses and to strengthen Britain’s energy security. This includes £240m of funding to support hydrogen production as a clean and low-cost energy technology that will be awarded towards the end of 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-unveils-investment-for-energy-technologies-of-the-future
    The Hydrogen Investor Roadmap
    http://bit.ly/38Ghz5r
    BEIS hydrogen funding strategy detail
    http://bit.ly/3NW5pW3

  • 8/4/22
    Analysis: The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) has published its sixth ‘State of the World’ report, which highlights the increasing pace of technological change in the global engineering, construction and infrastructure sectors, which is ‘faster than ever before’
    https://fidic.org/node/36490

  • 8/4/22
    Policy: The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that it will be making an infrastructure investment of £30m as part of the Live Labs 2 competition to support innovative sustainable infrastructure proposals for highways in the United Kingdom.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-invests-in-innovation-with-30-million-for-cutting-edge-highway-decarbonisation-projects

  • 8/4/22
    Policy: Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Bellway and others sign up to voluntary DLUHC Fire Safety Pledge, initiated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), in relation to historical cladding and fire safety issues on building projects in which they were involved.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-new-plan-to-protect-leaseholders-and-make-industry-pay-for-the-cladding-crisis

  • 7/4/22
    News: The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has responded to the latest construction PMI data for March 2022, warning that the rise in construction output, the highest since August 2021, 'masks falling optimism and a drop in residential construction activity'
    https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/rise-in-construction-output-masks-falling-optimism.html
    The PMI data for March 2022
    http://www.markiteconomics.com/Public/Home/PressRelease/c43a0d2bd7e1467882d64ffd17b2f1b8

  • 7/4/22
    Guidance: The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has completed its trilogy of free guides designed to help building owners and managers improve air quality.
    https://www.thebesa.com/iaq

  • 7/4/22
    Guidance: CIBSE and LETI launch industry FAQs on Net Zero Operational Carbon. The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) have launched new guidance on delivering net zero carbon buildings.
    https://www.cibse.org/news-and-policy/april-2022/cibse-and-leti-launch-industry-faqs-on-net-zero-op
     
  • 6/4/22
    News: The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the British Council have announced the launch of the Open Door project, aimed at celebrating outstanding architecture conservation work in the UK and China.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/riba-and-british-council-to-celebrate-heritage-conservation-in-china-and-uk\

  • 5/4/22
    Legislation: The Building Safety Bill (the Bill) has completed its progress through the House of Lords, with the report stage concluding on 29 March 2022, and the third reading taking place on 4 April 2022. At the report stage, the Lords passed several significant amendments to the Bill. The amendments included the removal of the ‘building safety manager’ role from the higher-risk building regime. These amendments are scheduled to be considered by the House of Lords on 20th April 2022
    https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2022/january-2022/lords-debates-building-safety-bill2/
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021/stages
    Building Safety Bill Government Factsheets:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-bill-factsheets

  • 5/4/22
    Policy: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has updated its guidance on remediation of non-ACM buildings. The DLUHC has now updated the fund application and social sector grants guidance, prospectus and technical information.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings

  • 5/4/22
    Guidance: UK BIM Alliance State of the Nation survey.  In a bid to continue to measure the understanding and adoption of information management using BIM across the UK built environment, the UK BIM Alliance have launched its annual State of the Nation Survey.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/uk-bim-alliance-state-of-the-nation-survey.html
     
  • 5/4/22
    News: The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has announced that an additional five companies have signed up to join CO2nstruct Zero. The new Business Champions are Cara, Civco, Naylor Industries, Timloc Building Products and Tilbury Douglas. They join HS2, currently delivering the UK's largest infrastructure project, and more than eighty other organisations as signatories.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/five-more-firms-join-co2nstruct-zero/

  • 4/4/22
    Policy: The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published Working Group III's report, titled 'Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of climate change', which calls for urgent action on climate change as the window for limiting global warming to 1.5°C is closing fast.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/window-for-climate-action-closing-fast?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=e280dc49-fda3-4dea-884b-b86fb8c37bd7&utm_content=immediately

  • 1/4/22
    Closed ConsultationWarm Home Discount: better targeted support from 2022. The Consultation results were published on June 28th, 2021 and the final outcome updated in April 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/warm-home-discount-better-targeted-support-from-2022

  • 31/3/22
    Policy: Scottish Government publishes analysis of responses to draft Heat Networks Delivery Plan. The Scottish Government has published the key findings from a quantitative analysis of the 48 responses it received to the consultation on the draft Heat Networks Delivery Plan. It found that alleviating fuel poverty while moving to heat networks and low carbon heating generally were deemed to be a substantial challenge.
    https://www.gov.scot/publications/analysis-responses-public-consultation-draft-heat-networks-delivery-plan/

  • 31/3/22
    News: ARUP has announced the launch of 'Arup ExperienceLab', a unique immersive facility to change the way designers, clients and stakeholders can experience, test and improve their designs.
    https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/arup-brings-design-to-life-with-industry-first-immersive-facility

  • 31/3/22
    Guidance: The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published 'Amendment 2' to BS 7671:2018 (IET Wiring Regulations). The update introduces a new requirement for Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs), updated requirements for the documentation of the fire safety design for buildings and a new chapter on Prosumer’s Low Voltage Electrical Installations
    https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/about-bsi/media-centre/press-releases/2022/

  • 31/3/22
    Guidance: The National Building Specification (NBS) has published its ‘Sustainable Futures Survey’, which polled 608 construction professionals to understand sustainability attitudes and protocols within the construction sector.
    https://www.thenbs.com/about-nbs/press-releases/nbs-launches-survey-to-understand-the-construction-industrys-net-zero-status
    https://cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2022-03-31-nbs-sustainability-report

  • 30/3/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/383
    Flood Reinsurance (Amendment) Regulations 2022. 
    These Regulations are made to designate a new Flood Reinsurance Scheme (the FR Scheme) improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing FR Scheme and to promote the uptake of property flood resilience (PFR) measures in households, helping the UK to become more resilient to the changing climate. The Regulations came into force on 1 April 2022
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2022/383/made

  • 30/3/22
    Analysis: The Society of Construction Law (SCL) has announced that it has part-funded research leading to a report on ‘Procuring Net Zero Construction’. The report looks into how parties in the construction sector can improve procurement practices in order to achieve net zero greenhouse emissions, using an integrated approach that will help the construction sector meet net zero carbon targets.
    https://www.scl.org.uk/resources/news/scl-and-procuring-net-zero-carbon-construction

  • 29/3/22
    Policy: The Welsh Government has published a written statement by the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James, providing an update on building safety. In the update, James confirmed that digital surveys have been completed for the first 248 applications to the Welsh Building Safety Fund and that £375m has been made available for the next three years to invest in repair work.
    https://gov.wales/written-statement-building-safety-0

  • 28/3/22
    Closed ConsultationCombined heat and power: pathway to decarbonisation call for evidence. The Consultation results were published on 27th September, 2021 and the final outcome updated on 28th March 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/combined-heat-and-power-pathway-to-decarbonisation-call-for-evidence

  • 28/3/22
    Policy: The Welsh Government has set up Net Zero Industry Wales, which will support a group of 40 existing businesses and academic partners operating within a range of energy-intensive industries in their transition to net zero.
    https://gov.wales/net-zero-industry-wales-established-support-decarbonisation-welsh-industry

  • 28/3/22
    Policy: The UK Government's Cabinet Office has published the Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 01/22 on contracts with suppliers from Russia and Belarus which sets out how contracting authorities can further cut ties with companies backed by the Russia and Belarus.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0122-contracts-with-suppliers-from-russia-and-belarus?msclkid=c77afa22ae7511ec811bf6d8fe1f00bd

  • 28/3/22
    Consultation: The UK Government (DEFRA) is seeking views on its planned revision to the statutory local air quality management policy guidance (LAQM).  This guidance relates to Local Authority action on air quality and applies to Local Authorities in England only (excluding those in London). The Consultation runs from 28th March until 6th June 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-air-quality-management-policy-guidance

  • 25/3/22
    Consultation: Developing the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). The UK ETS Authority is seeking views on the development of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. The Consultation runs from 25th March 2022 to 17th June 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/developing-the-uk-emissions-trading-scheme-uk-ets

  • 25/3/22
    Policy: The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced the new ‘Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy’, which sets out the vision and action plan for the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure within the UK and a commitment of £1.6bn in government funding.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-strategy
     
  • 24/3/22
    Analysis: Ukraine conflict—potential effects on UK construction projects and construction contracts
    Lexis Nexis reviews the possible effects which the conflict in Ukraine and economic sanctions imposed on Russian businesses and exports may have on the UK construction industry, and how they may be dealt with in both existing contracts and contracts entered into from March 2022 onwards.
    PDF: https://www.bsria.com/doc/B6J84B/

  • 24/3/22
    Analysis: The Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) has launched its ‘Information Management Roadmap’, designed to set out how it is driving the digital transformation of the construction sector and contributing to the achievement of the Transforming Construction Challenge outcomes.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/driving-digital-transformation-construction-sector

  • 23/3/22
    Guidance: Updates to the Approved Documents in England and the Building Regulations and Technical Booklets in Northern Ireland. The Government has recently published updates to the following Approved Documents, due to a previous publishing error. These take effect on 15 June 2022.
    Read more here

  • 23/3/22
    Policy: The Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) has launched Information Management Roadmap is designed to set out on one page how we are driving the digital transformation of the construction sector and contributing to the achievement of the Transforming Construction Challenge outcomes.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/driving-digital-transformation-construction-sector
     
  • 23/3/22
    Analysis: Key industry bodies have published their responses to the HM Treasury’s Spring Statement on 23 March 2022 regarding the construction sector. Announcements on Net Zero and improvements to domestic energy efficiency were broadly welcomed but it was felt more is needed to push employment skills and help with rising costs.
    Lexis Nexis PDF: https://www.bsria.com/doc/BeewoB/
    What does the Chancellor’s Spring statement mean for the built environment and net zero? (BRE article)
    https://www.bregroup.com/insights/what-does-the-chancellors-spring-statement-mean-for-the-built-environment-and-net-zero/

  • 23/3/22
    Policy: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has published a new factsheet providing information on the key provisions of the Building Safety Bill. The factsheet explains who the new legal leaseholder protections for historic building safety defects apply to, what the impact will be when the Building Safety Bill becomes law, and includes illustrative examples.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-bill-factsheets

  • 23/3/22
    Guidance: The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published guidance to support the delivery of social value across built environment projects, listing eight practical steps to allow built environment practitioners to do so. The new guidance has been designed to be straightforward for project teams, ensuring social value is a primary consideration in the sustainability of the built environment.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-publish-toolkit-to-scale-the-delivery-of-social-value-across-the-built-environment/

  • 21/3/22
    Bill: Air Pollution (Local Authority Audits) Bill. This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented for its first reading to Parliament on Wednesday 16th June 2021. The second reading is now scheduled on 6th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2903/stages

  • 21/3/22
    Bill: Flooding (Prevention and Insurance) Bill. A Bill to set national minimum requirements for flood mitigation and protection measures in new build public and private properties enforced by local planning authorities; to place reporting requirements on local and national government in relation to flood prevention measures. The Bill was presented for its first reading to Parliament on 16th November 2021. The second reading is now scheduled on 6th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3066/stages

  • 21/3/22
    Bill: Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill.  A Bill to amend the Mobile Homes Act 1983. This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented for its first reading to Parliament on Wednesday 16th June 2021. The second reading is now scheduled on 6th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2984/stages

  • 18/3/22
    Policy: The Homebuilders Federation has published a new report analysing UK Government new housing data, which finds that buyers of new build homes are saving more than £400 per household on their energy bills.
    https://www.hbf.co.uk/news/new-hbf-report-buyers-of-new-build-homes-save-112-million-and-cut-uk-carbon-emissions-by-over-500000-tonnes-per-year/

  • 17/3/22
    Consultation: UK Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment 4 (OESEA4). The UK Government (BEIS) is conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of a draft plan/programme for further leasing for renewable energy (offshore wind, wave and tidal technologies), further licensing for offshore oil and gas exploration and production, and further leasing/licensing for hydrocarbon gas storage and unloading, carbon dioxide transportation and storage, and the offshore production and transport of hydrogen. The Consultation runs from 17th March 2022 to 27th May 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/uk-offshore-energy-strategic-environmental-assessment-4-oesea4
     
  • 17/3/22
    Policy: The British Property Federation (BPF) has outlined its plans to develop a Net Zero Pledge, with the aim of uniting all its members in tackling carbon emissions in the built environment and achieving net zero by 2050. The BPF will be asking its members to sign up to setting net zero targets and plans, share information, knowledge and research on an open-source basis and support each other by leveraging experience and expertise of those leading the drive to net zero.
    https://bpf.org.uk/media/press-releases/bpf-sets-out-plans-for-net-zero-pledge-to-unite-property-sector-in-decarbonisation-of-the-built-environment/

  • 17/3/22
    Legislation: Healthy Homes Bill.  This Bill had its first reading in the Lords on 17th March 2022. The purpose of the Bill is to outline the targets, plans and policies for the delivery of healthy homes and neighbourhoods, and to establish the office of the healthy homes commissioner and to make provisions for local housing needs.
    PDF: http://bills.parliament.uk/publications/45806/documents/1624
    Lexis Nexis analyses the changes that were made to the Bill in the House of Lords, and at what further steps the Bill must undergo before it is enacted: PDF https://www.bsria.com/doc/BxYaqr/

  • 16/3/22
    Consultation: Ofgem consults on funding detailed designs studies for Hydrogen village trial. Ofgem has launched a consultation on its decision to fund detailed design studies on delivering a hydrogen heated village by 2025. It is seeking views from people with an interest in the gas distribution network and other public stakeholders. The deadline for comments is 11 April 2022
    Read more here

  • 16/3/22
    Policy: The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has announced that the construction industry has hit its first target in its campaign to drive carbon out of the sector, with 90% of planning, design and estimating professionals now having access to the relevant Net Zero training.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-hits-first-target-on-roadmap-to-net-zero/

  • 16/3/22
    Analysis: The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published its fifth annual monitoring report. The report notes that the government had pledged to increase the proportion of GDP to be spent on economic infrastructure from 1.1% to 1.3% from 2025
    https://nic.org.uk/studies-reports/infrastructure-progress-review-2022/

  • 16/3/22
    Guidance: CIBSE and LIA launch quality scheme for circular economy in lighting. Industry leaders back the new circular economy assurance scheme designed to support the accuracy of circular economy claims from lighting manufacturers and specifiers.
    https://www.cibse.org/news-and-policy/march-2022/cibse-and-lia-launch-quality-scheme-for-circular-e

  • 15/3/33
    News: Arup and Ellen MacArthur Foundation launch Circular Buildings toolkit. The practical toolkit is designed to bring a circular economy for buildings into the mainstream, future-proofing assets as sustainability policies redraw the real estate landscape.
    https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/arup-co-launches-circular-buildings-toolkit

  • 14/3/22
    Legislation: S1 2022/278  
    Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2022. This regulation was introduced on 14th March and came into force on 4th April 2022.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/WgVYepKs/

  • 15/3/22
    Consultation: The Institution of Refrigeration (IOR) has drawn up a draft' Specification on Skills for Net Zero' and has requested that end users and training specialists in the refrigeration industry to submit their response. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on the additional skills, knowledge and behaviour required of end users, designers and technicians to support the move to net zero heating and cooling.
    https://ior.org.uk/public/downloads/MxVIy/skills%20for%20net%20zero%20V4.pdf
  • 13/2/22
    News: The Good Homes Alliance (GHA) GHA intend to launch a new network for progressive SME developers and housebuilders that are striving to deliver quality, net zero housing. The project builds upon the successes of the Vanguard and Pathfinder networks, which now total over 30 forward-thinking local authorities and housing associations.
    https://goodhomes.org.uk/news


  • 11/3/22
    Analysis: Monthly construction output has increased by by 1.1%, in volume terms, in January 2022, which came solely from an increase in repair and maintenance (4.6%) as new work saw a slight decrease of 0.8% on the month. Output is therefore at its highest level since September 2019, following an increase of 2.0% in December 2021 and is the third consecutive monthly growth greater than 1.0%
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/monthly-construction-output-increased-by-1-1-in-january-2022/

  • 11/3/22
    Policy: The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published its views on the UK government’s Levelling Up White Paper and what it means for a sustainable built environment. The UKGBC finds that the White Paper does explore potential links between net zero and levelling up, and that although none of the chosen indicators specifically target sustainability outcomes, several of the White Paper’s ‘missions’ do cover areas related to sustainability—such as health, well-being, home ownership, pride of place.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/the-levelling-up-white-paper-and-the-sustainable-built-environment/

  • 9/3/22
    Policy: The UK Government (DEFRA) awards £11.6m to local projects tackling air pollution. The grant is designed to help councils develop and implement measures to benefit schools, businesses and communities while reducing the impact of dirty air on people’s health.
    Read more here

  • 8/3/22
    Policy: The UK Government has announced that the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (CRHI) will be replaced by Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has confirmed that the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (DRHI) scheme will close to new applications at midnight on 31 March 2022, after which, it will be replaced by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS).
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-renewable-heat-incentive-rhi-schemes/closure-of-the-domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-dhri-and-its-successor-the-boiler-upgrade-scheme

  • 8/3/22
    Closed ConsultationDomestic Renewable Heat Incentive: ensuring a stable scheme. The Consultation results were published in February 2021 and the final outcome updated on 4th March, 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-ensuring-a-stable-scheme

    8/3/22
    Bill: Air Pollution (Local Authority Audits) Bill. This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented for its first reading to Parliament on Wednesday 2 February 2022. The second reading is now scheduled on 6th May 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3105/stages

  • 8/3/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/217 
    Non-Domestic Rating (Definition of Domestic Property) (England) Order 2022. This Regulation was laid before Parliament on 8th March 2022 and came into force on 4th April 2022.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/ZHXyV0KF

  • 4/3/22
    Policy: The UK Government (BEIS) announced that applications for the £288m Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) opened on 14 March 2022. The Fund is open to schemes which deliver clean heating to homes, offices and commercial or public buildings in England via low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps, solar or geothermal energy as a central heating source.
    Read more here
     
  • 2/3/22
    Policy: The Public Accounts Committee has published a report into the UK Government’s funding of the net zero 2050 target, to which it committed in June 2019. Although a plan for achieving the goals was published in October 2021 and over £25bn up to 2024–2025 has been committed, the Committee found that the government has ‘no clear plan for how the transition to net zero will be funded’, how it will replace income from taxes such as fuel duty or the general direction of travel on levies and taxation. 
    https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/161405/uk-net-zero-2050-government-without-answers-to-key-questions-on-costs-or-funding-target-set-in-law/

  • 2/3/22
    Policy: The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has published a green paper asking the UK government to include more targeted investments in infrastructure in its levelling up plans. In support of this green paper, ICE announced a public consultation on the subject, which closed on 8th April 2022.
    https://www.ice.org.uk/news-and-insight/latest-ice-news/ice-levelling-up-green-paper-consultation

  • 2/3/22
    Analysis: The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published the building materials and components statistics for February 2022, alongside commentary on the findings. The statistics include information on selected building materials and monthly data on price indices, bricks, cement and concrete blocks.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/building-materials-and-components-statistics-february-2022

  • 2/3/22
    Policy: Ofgem has announced that 40 early stage innovation projects are to receive up to £150,000 via the initial two-month ‘discovery’ phase of the £450m Strategic Innovation Fund to develop plans for delivering consumer and environmental benefits and accelerate the transition to net zero at the lowest cost to customers.
    Read more here

  • 2/3/22
    Policy: The Public Accounts Committee has published a report into the UK Government’s funding of the net zero 2050 target, to which it committed in June 2019. Although a plan for achieving the goals was published in October 2021 and over £25bn up to 2024–2025 has been committed, the Committee found that the government has ‘no clear plan for how the transition to net zero will be funded’
    Read more here

  • 1/3/22
    Legislation: SSI 2022/78 C.6
    The Prescription (Scotland) Act 2018 (Commencement, Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2022
    The Scottish Government has published a statutory instrument bringing the Prescription (Scotland) Act 2018 (P(S)A 2018) into force. P(S)A 2018, s 5, which concerns the starting point of the prescriptive period for obligations to pay damages, and P(S)A 2018, s 13, regarding restrictions on contracting out, will come into force on 1 June 2022. The other provisions will take effect on 28 February 2025.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2022/78/introduction/made

  • 1/3/22
    Policy: Energy networks launch 40 new innovation projects to help Great Britain accelerate the transition to net zero.
    Forty innovation projects have been launched today marking a significant ramping up of energy network innovation to help accelerate the transition to net zero at the lowest cost to consumers.
    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/energy-networks-launch-40-new-innovation-projects-help-great-britain-accelerate-transition-net-zero

  • 1/3/22
    Policy: Ofgem has published issue 31 of its Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) quarterly report, covering the period November 2021–January 2022. The report shows that there have been 5,671 accreditations in the period, with 4,857 of those being for air source heat pumps, 589 for ground source heat pumps, 140 for biomass and 64 for solar thermal.
    Read more here

  • 24/2/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/draft

    Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) Regulations 2022. The Scheme is a renewable heat incentive scheme to facilitate and encourage the use of heat pumps and biomass boilers to provide space and water heating in domestic properties and small non-domestic properties. This draft Regulation was laid before Parliament on 24th February 2022.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2022/9780348232349

  • 21/2/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/159

    Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme and Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
    These Regulations amend the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/928) (“the 2014 Regulations”) and the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/611) (“the 2018 Regulations”). The 2014 Regulations and 2018 Regulations provide for schemes under which owners of plants which generate heat from specified renewable sources and meet specified criteria .The Regulation was laid before Parliament on 1st February 2022.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/5TSPm2jp/

  • 21/2/22
    Legislation: SI 2022/draft
    Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These Regulations amend the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/3118) (“the principal regulations”), which implemented Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings (recast) (OJ No L 153, 18 18.6.2010, p. 13). The Regulation was laid before Parliament on 31st January 2022.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/iMliTrXl/

  • 21/2/22
    Policy: The Carbon Trust launches new Route to Net Zero Standard, certifying the journey to climate leadership.
    In order to achieve science-based targets, the Route to Net Zero Standard will support companies in the development and evolution of their action plans, helping to measure and manage their emissions, inform carbon reduction strategies, and align targets for the future.
    https://www.carbontrust.com/news-and-events/news/the-carbon-trust-launches-new-route-to-net-zero-standard-certifying-the
  • 8/11/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have published a 'Redress: factsheet’ in relation to the Building Safety Bill. The first part of the factsheet addresses changes being made to the Defective Premises Act 1972, while the second part regards section 38 of the Building Act 1984.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-bill-factsheets/redress-factsheet


  • 8/11/21
    SI 2021/0000
    Draft legislation: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2021
    The legislation makes various amendments in respect of renewables and transport fuels; and also in respect of motor fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2021/9780348228854

  • 6/11/21
    RICS announce their decarbonisation roadmap:'COP26: A roadmap to decarbonisation in Europe' to help organisations plan their decarbonisation strategies. Their Roadmap highlights the key areas for focus including: legislation, waste and circularity, procurement and sustainable finance.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/cop26-a-roadmap-to-decarbonisation-in-europe/

  • 5/11/21
    The UK Government (DLUHC) and Homes England have extended the availability of their Home Building Fund. The Fund provides development and infrastructure loans to private sector organisations.The recent update has extended the drawn down time for development loans from 31 March 2023 to 31 March 2025.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/home-building-fund

  • 5/11/21
    The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published its annual report and accounts for the year ending 31 March 2021. The report sets out the NIC’s main activities and performance in 2020-2021 and summarises forward plans for 2021-2022. Among its many projects, the NIC will be assessing the impact of COVID-19 on behaviour change and infrastructure demand; and also exploring the development of a new infrastructure sector for greenhouse gas removal.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-infrastructure-commission-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-21

  • 4/11/21
    RICS advises that Construction activity will strengthen next year, despite material cost and shortages
    Global construction markets continue to see activity strengthening, with workloads across all sectors expected to deliver a rise in output. 
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/construction-activity-continues-to-strengthen-despite-material-cost-and-shortages/

  • 3/11/21
    The Construction Innovation Hub has published: 'Digital Capabilities: a framework for early career professionals across built environment disciplines'
    The framework sets out what all early career built environment professionals should know about digitally enabled ways of working, allowing them to increase the pace of transformational change in the sector.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/early-career-digital-capabilities
     
  • 3/11/21
    RICS has published its five steps to meeting net zero through real estate investment.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/five-steps-to-reach-net-zero-through-sustainable-real-estate-investing/

  • 02/11/21
    Bill: Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings (No. 2) Bill
    This is a Private Members' Bill, started on 20th July 2021 and due its second reading on 18th March 2022.  The details were updated on 2nd November 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3036\

  • 2/11/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has launched its revised 'Carbon Reduction Code'. The second edition annotates feedback since the first edition, published in June 2021.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/carbon-reduction-code-for-the-built-environment-launched/

  • 28/10/21
    RICS BCIS publishes their 'five-year forecast - OCT 21' for the construction industry. Tender prices are expected to rise steeply over the next year with sharp rises in materials costs and site labour rates, together with strong demand.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/bcis-five-year-forecast---oct-21/

  • 28/10/21
    Arup has announced its partnership with Schneider Electric to build 'net zero' hotels.  
    Following their co-authored White Paper on building net zero carbon hotels, the partnership has developed a roadmap to guide other organisations developing hotels. In order to assess the impact of a range of proposed measures in the roadmap, two IHG hotels in Scotland have been picked for a trial.
    https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/arup-partners-with-ihg-and-schneider-to-deliver-net-zero-hotels

  • 27/10/21
    Digital Twin Journeys: the journey to the Smart Hospital of the Future
     Moorfields Hospital in London may be moving to a new site and plans are being drawn up to build a new hospital incorporating digital technologies.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/digital-twin-journeys-journey-smart-hospital-future

  • 27/10/21
    The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his Autumn Budget 2021 speech along with the Spending Review 2021 (SR21), discussing the government’s plans to build a stronger economy involving sustainable economic recovery, transition to net zero and supporting businesses.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/budget-and-spending-review-october-2021-what-you-need-to-know

  • 26/20/21
    Bill: Decarbonisation and Economic Strategy Bill
    A Private Member's Bill to place duties on the Secretary of State to decarbonise the United Kingdom economy and to reverse inequality; to establish a ten-year economic and public investment strategy in accordance with those duties which promotes a community- and employee-led transition from high-carbon to low- and zero-carbon industry; to require the Government to report on its adherence to the strategy; to establish higher environmental standards for air, water and green spaces; to make provision to protect and restore natural habitats; and for connected purposes. This Bill had its first reading on 20th October 2021 and will have its second reading in March 2022.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3055/stages

  • 26/10/21
    Consultation: The Welsh Government has published a summary of the responses received for its consultation on the Building Regulations Part L and F Review – Stage 2A. The consultation focused on changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations for existing dwellings and mitigating overheating in new dwellings. The Consultation originally ran from November 2020 to February 2021.
    PDF: http://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/consultations/2021-10/part-l-and-f-review-stage-2a-government-response.pdf

  • 26/10/21
    The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has published its quarterly FMB State of Trade Survey, which has found that 89% of local builders face delays or cancellation of jobs altogether, due to a lack of materials or skilled tradespeople.
    https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/89-of-builders-having-to-delay-jobs-says-fmb.html

  • 26/10/21
    The Construction Products Association (CPA) revises its construction industry forecast for 2022.  Due to continual supply chain capacity issues involving HGV driver shortages, product availability, and cost inflation, it has revised down growth for 2022 from 6.3% to 4.8%.
    https://www.constructionproducts.org.uk/publications/economics/construction-industry-forecasts/construction-industry-forecasts-autumn-2021/

  • 26/10/21
    Bill: House of Lords Library announces first reading of Construction (Retention Abolition) Bill
    The Bill aims to make provision for the abolition within construction contracts of the practice of allowing the paying party to withhold as security against the risk of contractual non-performance by the other party sums which would otherwise be due, and for connected purposes.
    The Billl had its first reading on 25 October 2021, with the second reading's date to be confirmed.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3056/stages

  • 25/10/21
    Building Safety Bill: Draft Regulations
    The latest draft regulations are intended to provide the UK Parliament with an outline for secondary legislation. The overall Bill makes provision about the safety of people in or about buildings and the standard of buildings, amends the Architects Act 1997, and amends provision about complaints made to a housing ombudsman. The Bill was debated at Second Reading on Wednesday 21 July 2021 and is now with a Public Bill Committee, which has been scrutinising the Bill line by line.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-bill-draft-regulations
    Click below to access the Building Safety Bill's Factsheets
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-bill-factsheets
    Click to below to access the Health and Safety Executive's Factsheets
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-executive-factsheets

  • 22/10/22
    Bill: Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill
    A Bill to make provision about the rent payable under long leases of dwellings; and for connected purposes .The Bill completed its House of Lords stages on Tuesday 14 September 2021 and was presented to the House of Commons on Wednesday 15 September 2021
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2864

  • 22/10/21
    Consultation: Draft Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs): 2021 to 2027
    The UK Government (Environment Agency) has put together FRMPs for the period 2021 to 2027, which introduce strategies and plans to mitigate flooding risks from surface water, river water and sea water. The Consultation runs from 22nd October to 21st January 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-flood-risk-management-plans-frmps-2021-to-2027

  • 21/10/21
    The British Property Federation (BPF) has published analysis showing that 81% of build-to-rent homes in the UK are within 20 cities where the UK Government has increased housing targets by 35%, such as London, Manchester and Liverpool. The analysis, produced in partnership with Savills, underlines the critical role that high-quality homes built for renters will have in achieving national housing targets.
    https://bpf.org.uk/media/press-releases/build-to-rent-sector-is-critical-to-achieving-government-housing-targets-in-core-uk-cities/

  • 19/10/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) has announced its consultation: 'Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating in homes off the gas grid'.  The proposals aim to phase out the installation of high carbon fossil fuel heating systems in homes off the gas grid, as committed to in the 2017 Clean Growth Strategy. The Consultation runs from 19th October 2021 to 12th January 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/phasing-out-fossil-fuel-heating-in-homes-off-the-gas-grid

  • 19/10/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) has announced its consultation: 'Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating in businesses and public buildings off the gas grid'.  The proposals aim to phase out the installation of high carbon fossil fuel heating systems in businesses and public buildings off the gas grid, as committed to in the 2017 Clean Growth Strategy. The Consultation runs from 19th October 2021 to 12th January 2022.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/phasing-out-fossil-fuel-heating-in-homes-off-the-gas-grid

  • 19/10/21
    The UK Government has announced its landmark 'Net Zero Strategy', outlining how the UK will reach net zero by 2050.
    Building on the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan, today’s UK Net Zero Strategy sets out a comprehensive economy-wide plan for how British businesses and consumers will be supported in making the transition to clean energy and green technology. The commitments made will unlock up to £90 billion of private investment by 2030, and support 440,000 well-paid jobs in green industries in 2030.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uks-path-to-net-zero-set-out-in-landmark-strategy


  • 18/10/21
    The UK Government has released its 'Plan to drive down the cost of clean heat'
    From April 2022, homeowners will be able to apply for a £5000 grant to upgrade their boilers to a low carbon heating system.  With the grant, the UK Government plans to incentivise people to install low-carbon heating systems and aims to ensure that the cost will be no more than a fossil fuel boiler.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plan-to-drive-down-the-cost-of-clean-heat

  • 15/10/21
    Bill: Building Safety Bill: The DLUHC has published five new sets of draft regulations on the Building Safety Bill. The draft regulations are for delegated powers proposed in the Bill and have been published to assist parliamentarians and others with understanding the contents of the Bill. Factsheets, providing more information about key provisions in the Bill, have also been published.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-bill-draft-regulations

  • 14/10/21
    A new world-wide fire safety initiative has been launched by a global coalition of over eighty fire safety leadership organisations. 
    The initiative: 'Decade of Action for Fire Safety' is backed by the UN and builds on the International Fire Safety Standard - Common Principles (IFSS-CP) published by the International Fire Safety Standards Coalition (IFSS) in October 2020. The fire protection coalition aims to ensure an internationally consistent approach to the safety, management of buildings and infrastructure.
    https://ifss-coalition.org/new-world-wide-fire-safety-initiative-launched/

  • 12/10/21
    The UK Government (DLUHC) has announced that £57.8m from the £75m Brownfield Land Release Fund (DLR) has been allocated to 53 councils to build thousands of new homes on underused and derelict land in order to regenerate local areas.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-new-homes-to-be-built-and-derelict-land-transformed

  • 12/10/21
    The UK Government has launched a 'Green Jobs Taskforce' with a remit to create 2 million green jobs to support the drive to build back greener and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-launches-taskforce-to-support-drive-for-2-million-green-jobs-by-2030

  • 8/10/21
    Consultation: Proposals for heat network zoning
    The UK Government is seeking views on our proposed approach to deliver heat network zoning in England and to identifying areas where heat networks are the most appropriate solution for decarbonising heating. The Consultation runs from 8th October to 19th November 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposals-for-heat-network-zoning

  • 07/10/21
    RICS Scotland sets out plans for COP26. A series of events around net zero carbon are announced.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/rics-scotland-sets-out-plans-for-cop26/

  • 5/10/21
    The Institute of Air Quality (IAQM) and CIBSE have published a new study: 'Indoor Air Quality Guidance: Assessment, Monitoring, Modelling and Mitigation'
    This provides guidance on the assessment of indoor air quality for appropriately qualified practitioners working on improving indoor air quality in buildings of all types, and covers both existing and proposed buildings.
    https://www.cibse.org/news-and-policy/october-2021/new-air-quality-guidance-from-the-institute-of-air

  • 6/10/21
    The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) has published the Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) figures for September 2021. The figures showed output growth eased for the third month running, increased sub-contractor charges and widespread supply shortages leading to rapid cost inflation. However, the construction industry remains upbeat about the future despite the current shortages of materials and staff that slowed down recovery in September 2021.
    https://www.acenet.co.uk/news/industry/industry-remains-upbeat-despite-september-growth-slowdown/

  • 5/10/21
    The Storage of Carbon Dioxide (Licensing etc.) (EU Exit) (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
    These Regulations are made in exercise of legislative powers under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EU(W)A 2018) in connection with Brexit. They amend a piece of Scottish secondary legislation in relation to storage of carbon dioxide to address failures of retained EU law to operate effectively and other deficiencies arising from the withdrawal of the UK from the EU. They come into force on 1 December 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/354/made

  • 5/10/21
    CLC publishes its 'Road to COP campaign'
    The CLC has launched its ‘Road to COP campaign’, ahead of COP 26. The CLC will profile two priorities for the construction industry each week, reflecting on what the industry has achieved and what there is still to do toward the reduction of carbon emissions.
    https://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/lexispsl/construction/document/281955/63SD-TNS3-CGX8-00DF-00000-00/CLC-publishes-its-Road-to-COP-campaign

  • 1/10/21
    Arup and C40 Cities selected to host joint exhibition in COP26 Green Zone
    Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40 Cities) and Arup announced that they will together host a COP26 Green Zone exhibition showcasing climate action being taken by a range of global cities.  
    https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/arup-and-c40-cities-selected-to-host-joint-exhibition-in-cop26-green-zone

  • 30/9/21
    Consultation: Re-coupling Great Britain electricity auctions for cross-border trade
    The Consultation is seeking views on the current arrangements for trading electricity on power exchanges in the GB wholesale electricity market and our proposals to support efficient cross-border trading. The Consultation runs from 30th September to 28th October 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/re-coupling-great-britain-electricity-auctions-for-cross-border-trade

  • 30/9/21
    The UK Government has released its Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations update.
    The Home Office has published a quarterly thematic update on progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations. The update outlines the current position on areas it is working on with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and details assurances received from relevant public authorities.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quarterly-thematic-update-on-progress-against-the-grenfell-tower-inquiry-phase-1-recommendations

  • 28/9/21
    Bill: Building Safety Bill
    A Bill to make provision about the safety of people in or about buildings and the standard of buildings, to amend the Architects Act 1997, and to amend provision about complaints made to a housing ombudsman.This Bill has now been passed to a Public Bill Committee which will scrutinise the Bill line by line and is expected to report to the House by Tuesday 26 October 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021/news

  • 28/9/21
    The Construction Innovation Hub has published its 'New Energy and Carbon Reporting Framework', which defines operational energy and carbon dioxide emissions information exchanges for Government Soft Landings (GSL) and other soft landings projects so that emerging performance can be made visible enabling corrective actions to be taken.
    https://constructioninnovationhub.org.uk/new-energy-and-carbon-reporting-framework/

  • 27/9/21
    CIBSE launches its new publication 'CIBSE Application Manual, AM16: Heat pump installations in multi-unit residential buildings 2021,' The guide intends to enable engineers, architects and contractors to understand how heat pump technology can be best applied on new-build and retrofit applications in high density housing
    https://www.cibse.org/news-and-policy/september-2021/cibse-launches-design-guidance-for-heat-pumps-in-h

  • 8/10/21
    Consultation: Combined heat and power: pathway to decarbonisation call for evidence
    The UK Government is seeking views to inform further development of possible options for future reform of combined heat and power policy. . The Consultation runs from 27th September  to 20th December 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/combined-heat-and-power-pathway-to-decarbonisation-call-for-evidence

  • 24/9/21
    The British Standards Institution (BSI) leads an initiative (The London Declaration) to embed all ISO Standards with net zero targets.  Approved by the ISO members, the London Declaration is a commitment to ensure global standards will support climate action.
    https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/about-bsi/media-centre/press-releases/2021-press-releases/september/international-commitment-pledges-to-accelerate-transition-to-net-zero/

    24/9/21
  • RICS BCIS forecasts for the FM sector. Interruptions, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, have led to slumps and spikes in demand and supply. This has resulted in pressures on costs, particularly energy and some material costs.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/bcis-forecasts-for-the-fm-sector2/

  • 23/9/21
    BRE launches the NABERS UK energy efficiency rating scheme for offices to enable more businesses to meet net zero. The NABERS scheme intend to help organisations measure the energy efficiency of their buildings and to achieve their net zero targets, contributing to the UK’s wider decarbonisation drive.
    https://www.bregroup.com/news/nabers-uk-energy-efficiency-rating-scheme-for-offices-launches-to-enable-more-businesses-to-meet-net-zero/

  • 23/9/21
    The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has launched an update to its 'Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment' to recognise leadership action in tackling embodied carbon emissions. In addition, the WorldGBC has also published 'Advancing Net Zero Whole Life Carbon: Offsetting Residual Emissions from the Building and Construction Sector', providing guidance for how the sector should compensate for its total carbon impacts.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/first-built-environment-commitment-to-advance-net-zero.html
     
  • 22/9/21
    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published its latest 'Global air quality guidelines' on indoor and outdoor ambient air pollution. The guidance offers global guidance on thresholds and limits for key air pollutants that pose health risks.
    https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health

  • 21/9/21
    The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in partnership with Architects Declare have published a report, ‘Built for the Environment’, that demonstrated the critical role the built environment sector must play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The report collated research and evidence from industry experts to prompt the sector to 'scale-up its capabilities.'
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/built-for-the-environment-report-published
     
  • 21/9/21
    RICS publishes  its review 'Changing Trends in Construction'. RICS suggest that the key challenge for the construction sector globally is around shortages of building materials but finding labour with the requisite skills is also proving a growing problem.
    https://www.rics.org/en-za/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/changing-trends-in-construction/

  • 21/9/21
    The Construction Product Association (CPA) and MRA Research have published 'The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), Code guidance' and a ‘Preparing for the Code’ information pack.  These studies aim to drive higher standards in the presentation of construction product information in the manufacturing industry.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-09-21-ccpi-published-to-raise-standards

  • 17/9/21
    How can the Government get to ‘net zero’?
    The Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee has begun its inquiry on net zero governance, which examines the leadership that will be needed by the government to deliver the UK’s 2050 net zero commitment.
    https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/365/business-energy-and-industrial-strategy-committee/news/157563/how-can-the-government-get-to-net-zero/

  • 15/9/21
    RIBA publishes a new edition of its 'Design for Manufacture and Assembly' guidance. 
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/riba-publishes-new-design-for-manufacture-and-assembly-guidance

  • 14/9/21
    Bill: Planning (Street Plans) Bill
    A Private Member Bill about the creation and operation of street-level plans for local development; and for connected purposes. The Bill had its First Reading on 13th September and will have its Second Reading on 22nd October 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3047

  • 14/9/21
    The Construction Innovation Hub publishes: 'The Digital Innovation Imperative: Advancing progress towards a digital built Britain', which suggests the UK is well-positioned to respond to the government’s call to “build back better”, if the construction and built environment sectors continue to strengthen foundational digital capabilities and innovate at pace.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/digital-innovation-imperative

  • 13/9/21
    Bill: Fire and Building Safety (Public Inquiry) Bill
    A Private Member Bil; aiming to establish an independent public inquiry into the Government’s response to concerns about fire and building safety. The Bill has reached Committee Stage.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021/news

  • 13/9/21
    IPA and HM Treasury jointly publish the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline 2021
    The IPA and HM Treasury have issued a joint policy paper on the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline 2021 (2021 Pipeline), a forward-looking pipeline of planned projects and programmes in economic and social infrastructure. The IPA and HM Treasury said the 2021 Pipeline sets out nearly £650bn in future planned procurements and levels of investment alongside the workforce requirement to deliver the National Infrastructure Strategy.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-infrastructure-and-construction-pipeline-2021

  • 13/9/21
    IPA publishes policy paper, Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030
    The IPA noted that the Roadmap to 2030 builds on the progress made since the launch of TIP in 2017, draws on best practice thinking and explores the trends and drivers that could shape infrastructure and major project delivery in the UK over the coming decades.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-infrastructure-performance-roadmap-to-2030/transforming-infrastructure-performance-roadmap-to-2030

  • 10/9/21
    The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a new document outlining early key messages on the proposed safety case principles for high-rise residential buildings, set out in the Building Safety Bill.
    Click to view>>

  • 8/9/21
    The Ashton Institute has published a report as part of the 'PROTECT COVID-19 National Core Study on transmission and environment.' The study assesses the UK construction sector’s efforts to build ‘COVID-secure’ workplaces
    https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/covid19-national-project/2021/09/08/keeping-the-uk-building-safely-protect-report-examines-sectors-covid-19-response/

  • 8/9/21
    The UK Government has announced that the next phase in the building of a digital map of underground pipes and cables has been launched. The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) aims to 'revolutionise construction and development' in the UK. NUAR will be built in partnership between industry representatives and the government over the next three years, starting in the North East of England, Wales and London.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-phase-of-government-project-to-map-the-uks-underground-pipes-and-cables-launched?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=eb902bf5-1066-4775-b941-1d618bdffe06&utm_content=daily

  • 8/9/21
    The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) secures construction industry support for Levy Proposals. Construction employers have backed CITB’s Levy Proposals to support skills and training across England, Scotland and Wales, by way of the Consensus process.
    https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/news-events-and-blogs/citb-secures-construction-industry-support-for-levy-proposals/

  • 6/9/21
    Consultation: Planning for new energy infrastructure: review of energy National Policy Statements
    The UK Government is seeking views eeking views on the revised energy National Policy Statements that support decisions on major energy infrastructure  The Consultation runs from 6th September to 29th November 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-new-energy-infrastructure-review-of-energy-national-policy-statements

  • 28/9/21
    Bill: Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill [HL]
    A Private Member's Bill in the House of Lords that aims to increase the energy performance of buildings; and for connected purposes
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3034

  • 26/8/21
    Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios introduce 'FCBS Carbon', which is a tool for calculating total whole life carbon impact of a building.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/how-to-tally-up-your-projects-carbon-impact-in-15-minutes

  • 26/8/21
    The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published a new set of requirements for the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) in development projects, including individual house-builds, large-scale developments and estate management. The new British Standard 8683: Process for developing and implementing biodiversity net gain – specification, builds on and adds to the UK’s Good Practice Principles of BNG.
    https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/about-bsi/media-centre/press-releases/2021-press-releases/august/new-british-standard-sets-out-requirements-for-the-implementation-of-biodiversity-net-gain-in-development-projects/

  • 24/8/21
    According to the Office of National Statistics, construction output fell by 1.3% in June; the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) analyse the findings
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-output-fell-by-1-3-in-june/

  • 24/8/21
    Commissioned by the UK Government (BEIS), BRE has launched a free energy efficiency tool for care homes. The new online tool recommends ways for care homes to save energy, reduce bills and access green funding.
    https://www.bregroup.com/news/carehometool/

  • 24/8/21
    In context of CE markings, the UK Government has announced that UK businesses will have an extra year to start using the new UKCA product safety marking on all CE-marked products, including construction and building services products. The extension means that the CE mark must be replaced by UKCA marking by 1 January 2023.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/businesses-given-more-time-to-apply-new-product-safety-marking

  • 23/8/21
    The Engineering services alliance Actuate UK (of which BSRIA is a member), has published its full manifesto online. The initial focus is on four key areas for the sector and the wider economy, society and the environment including 1) The post-COVID world of business; 2) building safety; 3) skills for the future; and 4) the climate crisis and net zero carbon building.
    https://www.actuateuk.org.uk/policy-areas/

  • 23/8/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has announced a new £4m Community Housing Fund Revenue Programme 2021–2022, which intends to provide community-led housing groups better access to high quality, affordable housing.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-4-million-fund-launched-to-increase-community-led-affordable-housing

  • 23/8/21
    The UK Government (BEIS) has announced that local authorities and housing associations across England are going to have the opportunity to bid on government funding through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. Social housing providers will be able to bid for a share of a £160m cash injection, allowing them to make improvements to their stock and enhance the country's energy efficiency in socially rented homes.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/warmer-greener-and-cheaper-homes-as-government-opens-a-triple-win-upgrade-for-social-housing

  • 23/8/21
    The ECA announces that their commercial associate, EFT Consult, has launched a new joint-venture with Metrikus, a specialist software company, to produce customisable digital dashboards for building management systems, allowing managers and operators to monitor and control the indoor environment quality (IEQ) within their buildings.
    https://www.eca.co.uk/news-and-events/news/2021/aug/new-digital-building-dashboard-tech-on-the-horizon

  • 23/8/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has published Richard Bacon MP’s independent review into scaling up self-build and custom housebuilding (the Bacon Review), which makes recommendations to realise a ‘potential 30-40,000 custom and self-build homes a year’.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-into-scaling-up-self-build-and-custom-housebuilding-report

  • 23/8/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has launched a Consultation on its proposals to introduce a common set of equality, diversity and inclusion metrics for the construction sector.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/industry-asked-for-views-on-measuring-equality-in-construction/

  • 20/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is conducting a Consultation seeking views on proposed changes to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme for the next scheme (ECO4), due to begin in April 2022.This Consultation runs from 20th July to 3rd September 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/design-of-the-energy-company-obligation-eco4-2022-2026

  • 20/8/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has added ‘paragraph 018: What about schemes that create new dwelling houses in high rise buildings utilising a Permitted Development Right?’ to its guidance on fire safety and high-rise residential buildings in England. The added paragraph states that from 1 August 2021, there will be a requirement for developers to obtain the approval of the local planning authority regarding some aspects of fire safety.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fire-safety-and-high-rise-residential-buildings-from-1-august-2021

  • 20/8/21
    Planning consent has been given for three towers on the edge of London's Canary Wharf, which its developers claim will be the largest Passivhaus development in Europe. The project, on a vacant 0.4ha site in Trafalgar Way, will include 1,672 student rooms, 80 apartments for University College London staff, commercial office and retail space, and indoor children’s play space
    https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/apt-wins-go-ahead-for-europes-largest-passivhaus-development
     
  • 19/8/21
    RIBA announces revised plans for its 'RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge: Aligning the targets across the built environment'.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/riba-2030-climate-challenge-aligning-the-targets-across-the-built-environment

  • 18/8/21
    Bills: The Building Safety Bill
    A Bill to make provision about the safety of people in or about buildings and the standard of buildings, to amend the Architects Act 1997, and to amend provision about complaints made to a housing ombudsman. This Bill was updated on 23rd July 2021 and is due at Committee Stage in the House of Commons on 9th September 2021.
     https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021
     
  • 18/8/21
    The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has launched a major public engagement exercise to invite architects to help shape the regulator’s approach to continuing professional development (CPD). The Building Safety Bill gives ARB new powers to monitor the training and development of architects.
    https://arb.org.uk/arb-invites-architects-to-help-shape-future-cpd-scheme/

  • 18/8/21
    The Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) has launched an enhanced training suite to support global implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in construction
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/training-suite-launched-supporting-global-implementation-bim

  • 17/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is conducting a Consultation on possible legislative changes to enable the delivery of a hydrogen grid conversion trial.This Consultation runs from 17th August to 28th September 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hydrogen-for-heat-facilitating-a-grid-conversion-hydrogen-heating-trial

  • 17/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is conducting a Consultation on design options for a UK standard that defines 'low carbon' hydrogen, to underpin our support for hydrogen production.This Consultation runs from 17th August to 25th October 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/designing-a-uk-low-carbon-hydrogen-standard

  • 17/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is conducting a Consultation on the design of the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund (NZHF), which aims to support at-scale deployment of low carbon hydrogen production during the 2020s.This Consultation runs from 17th August to 25th October 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/designing-the-net-zero-hydrogen-fund

  • 17/8/21
    The Welsh Government has published the ‘Welsh Development Quality Requirements 2021 – Creating beautiful homes & places’, detailing new affordable homes building standards due to come into force from 1 October 2021.
    https://gov.wales/written-statement-new-standard-building-affordable-homes-wales

  • 17/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is conducting a Consultation on the design for a low carbon hydrogen business model. .This Consultation runs from 17th August to 25th October 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/design-of-a-business-model-for-low-carbon-hydrogen

  • 17/8/21
    The Carbon Trust announces that it has been re-appointed to lead new phase of Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator (IEEA) by the UK Government, to speed up adoption of low carbon technologies in industry
    https://www.carbontrust.com/news-and-events/news/the-carbon-trust-re-appointed-to-lead-new-phase-of-industrial-energy

  • 17/8/21
    The UK Government has launched its plan for a world-leading hydrogen economy. The UK's first-ever vision to kick start world-leading hydrogen economy aims to support over 9,000 UK jobs and unlock £4 billion investment by 2030.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-launches-plan-for-a-world-leading-hydrogen-economy
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/17/uk-homes-low-carbon-hydrogen-economy-jobs

  • 16/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is conducting a Consultation to find evidence to help develop a more transparent framework for communicating the carbon content of energy products to consumers. BEIS says the development of such a framework is key to achieving net zero as it assists consumers in choosing their energy providers based on carbon content. BEIS also states its aims to consider the case for reforming the regulatory framework that underpins green electricity tariffs.  This Consultation runs from 16th August to 6th December 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/design-of-a-business-model-for-low-carbon-hydrogen

  • 16/8/21
    Consultation. The UK Government (MHCLG) has launched a call for evidence on the current form of regulation for architects and the architectural sector in the UK. The Consultation sought views on various topics including forms of regulation, access to the architectural profession, sustainability and innovation.The Consultation runs from 16th August to 8th November 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-architects-regulation-call-for-evidence

  • 13/8/21
    CIBSE announces its latest update to its annual Net Zero 'Climate Change Action Plan', originally started in July 2019
    https://cibse.org/news-and-policy/policy/technical-themes/net-zero

  • 12/8/21
    Special Publication—COP26—The Road to Net Zero.  Lexis Nexis has compiled a special publication focusing on some of the legal and practical challenges encountered in tackling the problems posed by climate change, ahead of the 26th session of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP26) set to take place in November 2021. The report combines interviews with a range of expert contributors, original market insights, and Lexis Nexis analysis.
    Click to view (PDF)>>

  • 12/8/21
    RICS (BCIS) announces its latest update to its five-year forecast, suggesting that construction tender prices are under pressure due to rising material prices and longer supply times. The forecast predicts that tender prices will rise by 21% between Q2 2021 and Q2 2026.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/bcis-five-year-forecast2/

  • 12/8/21
    The Good Homes Alliance (GHA) announce a revision of their proprietary overheating risk tool and guidance for new build homes and will now include a version for retrofitting schemes. This responds to demand from designers, housing associations, environmental health officers, and other parties concerned with overheating risk in the existing housing stock.
    https://goodhomes.org.uk/news/retrofit-overheating-tool

  • 12/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (MHCLG) is conducting a Consultation inviting views of the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning (NSIP) processes. Part of the National Infrastructure Planning Reform programme, this Consultation runs from 16th August to 6th December 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/national-infrastructure-planning-reform-programme-stakeholder-survey

  • 12/8/21
    The Global BIM Network has initiated a call for knowledge in support of its global information database, collating evidence, reports and papers of digital built environment projects across the world

    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/global-bim-network-launches-call-knowledge

  • 12/8/21
    The British Standards Institution (BSI) is calling for public comments on the BIM standard 'BS EN ISO 19650-4 Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information modelling (BIM) - Information management using building information modelling. - Part 4: Information exchange'. The call for comments will remain open until the 4th October 2021.
    https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2019-02287#/section

  • 11/8/21
    The manual to the Building Regulations and Approved Documents index has recently been updated.
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has updated the Manual to the Building Regulations index by adding to it the July 2021 edition of the Merged Approved Documents, incorporating 2020 editions of Approved Document B volume 1 (Dwellings) and Approved Document B volume 2 (Buildings other than dwellings), which took effect on 26 November 2020 in England.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-regulations-and-approved-documents-index

  • 10/8/21
    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a report on the global impact of climate change, and the measures needed to mitigate its impact. The study stresses that a 'strong and sustained reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide', alongside other greenhouse gases, is needed to limit the effects of climate change. By taking such actions, global temperatures could stabilise in around 20–30 years.
    https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/

  • 10/8/21
    Lexis Nexis has invited a legal expert to analyse the recent publication of 'Planning analysis: The new version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)', published on 20 July 2021. The revisions identify the changes that may affect planning for energy and renewables, with a particular focus on meeting the challenge of climate change and promoting sustainable transport (charging vehicles).
    Click to view (PDF)>>

  • 10/8/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has updated guidance on the National Model Design Code to include accessible versions of ‘National Model Design Code: part 1 - the coding process’ and ‘National Model Design Code: part 2 - guidance notes’.
    The National Model Design Code provides detailed guidance on the production of design codes, guides and policies to promote successful building design.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-model-design-code

  • 9/8/21
    'Europe's largest Passivhaus development' given go-ahead. 
    The world's first building made from "carbon concrete", which is reinforced using carbon fibre instead of steel, is under construction in Dresden, Germany. Its designers claim that using carbon fibre reinforcement instead of steel cuts the embodied carbon of a structure by half, owing to the smaller quantities required.
    https://www.henn.com/en/projects/science-education/c3-cube-tu-dresden

  • 9/8/21
    The British Standards Institution (BSI) is calling for public comments on the construction standard 'BS EN ISO 12006-3 Building construction - Organization of information about construction works. - Part 3: Framework for object-oriented information'. The call for comments will remain open until the 2nd October 2021.
    https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2018-00916#/section

  • 9/8/21
    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has introduced its 6th Assessment Report on Climate Change: AR6 Climate Change 2021:The Physical Science Basis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published its long-awaited sixth assessment report on the science of climate change: ‘AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’. It addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, bringing together the latest advances in climate science, and combining multiple lines of evidence from paleoclimate, observations, process understanding, and global and regional climate simulations.
    https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_bc367738e88b0d55ef3e672ac18b0f7e22dd5d33-1628501223-0-gqNtZGzNAeKjcnBszQhi#SPM
    Lexis Nexis commentary and legal analysis:
    Click to view (PDF)>>

  • 7/8/21
    Lexis Nexis has invited legal experts to analyse the recent publication of the Building Safety Bill and how it aims to address issues around fire and building safety, as well as key changes and implications for the construction industry.
    Click to view (PDF)>>

  • 6/8/21
    The British Standards Institution (BSI) is calling for public comments on the building safety standard 'Draft PAS 8673 Built environment - Framework for competence of individual Building Safe ty Managers and nominated individual Building Safety Managers - Specification'. The call for comments will remain open until the 15th September 2021.
    https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2021-00438#/section

  • The UK Government (BEIS) ) has announced the introduction of a shared ground loop modified capacity budget cap of £15m for the total potential expenditure related to modified capacity plans notified to Ofgem in 2021—2022. 
    Click to view>>

  • 6/8/21
    The British Standards Institution (BSI) has announced that it will revise and convert the fire risk assessment standard 'PAS 79-2:2020, Fire risk assessment, Housing, Code of practice' to a UK Standard.
    https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/about-bsi/media-centre/press-releases/2021-press-releases/august/statement-pas-79-2----fire-risk-assessment.-housing.-code-of-practice/

  • 6/8/21
    The UK Government (BEIS and DEFRA) has launched a £5m research programme to increase the UK’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, such as flooding, heatwaves or storms. The ‘Climate Services for a Net Zero Resilient World’ programme will inform climate policy and engage with local authorities on local climate action plans. It will be led by leading authorities in environmental science, such as University College London.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-boosts-uk-resilience-against-climate-change?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=e71e7ed0-8858-44d2-b6ca-c56ded99ed28&utm_content=immediately

  • 6/8/21

    Scottish Government awards £16.5m to Net Zero Technology Transition Programme
    The Scottish Government has announced £16.5m has been awarded to the Net Zero Technology Centre, where seven projects will be developed through the Net Zero Technology Transition Programme. The programme is expected to transform the North Sea energy system, deliver £403bn for the economy and create 21,000 jobs by 2050. The funding is being provided through the Scottish Government’s Energy Transition Fund.
    https://www.gov.scot/news/investing-in-net-zero-technology/

  • 6/8/21
    In a significant move towards decarbonisation of heating in the UK, the Heat Pump Association has announced a new heat pump installers training course, which covers heat loss calculations, hydraulic balancing, pipe and emitter sizing, and low flow temperature heating. The course is intended as a precursor to technology-specific training.
    https://www.heatpumps.org.uk/training-heating-installers-for-the-rollout-of-heat-pumps/

  • 5/8/21
    Regulation: SI 2021/924. Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021
    This Regulation was laid before Parliament on 9th August 2021 and are provisionally coming into force on 1st September 2021. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/924/made

  • 5/8/21
    RICS has published its Global Construction Monitor, Q2 2021, which says global construction is accelerating but material cost pressures intensify. In the second quarter of 2021 the RICS Global Construction Activity Index rose to +25 in Q2 2021 up from +14 in Q4 2020.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/construction-output-accelerating-but-material-cost-pressures-intensify/

  • 4/8/21
    Regulation: SI 2021/917. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Auctioning (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021
    This Regulation was laid before Parliament on 4th August 2021 and came into force on 25th August 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/917/made

  • 4/8/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has published a web page that brings together key guidance and information relevant to local government on topics related to climate change, net zero and the environment.
    Click to view>>

  • 4/8/21
    The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has announced that ‘in order to maintain public confidence in the profession, architects admitted to the register must have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and behaviour to practice’. As a result, the new guidance, which is to apply to all institutions offering ARB-recognised qualifications, has been designed to ensure that future architects are competent to design safe and sustainable buildings. Specifically, this includes the addition of the topics of fire safety and environmental sustainability.
    https://arb.org.uk/arb-publishes-new-safety-and-sustainability-guidance-for-institutions/

  • 4/8/21
    The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) have published new research on mental health amongst construction workers. The report identifies opportunities for industry to address shortcomings and improve wellbeing for workers.
    https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/news-events-and-blogs/clc-and-citb-announce-new-approach-to-supporting-mental-health-in-construction/

  • 4/8/21
    The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has kickstarted a major recruitment drive to extend its expert team of competence and compliance auditors. The Association has toughened up the Competence Assessment Standard (CAS) it uses to assess the technical and business quality of firms applying for or renewing membership in line with growing demand for higher professional standard.
    https://www.thebesa.com/news/calling-all-auditors-besa-aims-to-beef-up-compliance-team/

  • 3/8/21
    The Welsh Government has published the integrated and economic impact assessments for the Building Safety Bill (the Bill) with regards to Wales
    https://gov.wales/building-safety-bill-impact-assessments

  • 3/8/21
    Path to COP26—Net Zero Disputes—key risks. Lexis Nexis invites legal experts to analyse the potential risks for disputes during the energy transition, against a backdrop of the Climate Change Act 2008, the 2015 Paris Agreement Goals and the upcoming 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
    Click to view (PDF)>>

  • 3/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) has launched a Consultation on the introduction of competition in onshore electricity networks. Electricity network companies are currently responsible for the building, ownership and operation of electricity network infrastructure and are regulated by Ofgem. The consultation aims to establish the wider view on opening up electricity ownership and operation to third parties. This Consultation runs until 26th October 2021.
    Click to view>>

  • 2/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is seeking views on proposed duties, powers, functions and objectives of an economic regulator for CO2 transport and storage networks. The aim of this consultation is to inform future legislative proposals and continued development of the government’s CCUS policy. This Consultation runs from 2nd August to 26th September 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/carbon-capture-usage-and-storage-ccus-duties-and-functions-of-an-economic-regulator-for-co2-transport-and-storage

  • 2/8/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is seeking views on proposals for establishing a funded decommissioning regime for carbon capture, usage and storage. This Consultation runs from 2nd August to 26th September 2021
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/carbon-capture-usage-and-storage-ccus-offshore-decommissioning-regime-for-co2-transport-and-storage

  • 2/8/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has announced that new requirements ensuring that high-rise developments consider fire safety at the earliest planning stages will come into force from 1 August 2021. The requirements are known as ‘planning gateway one’ and will require demonstrations of how high-rise buildings have considered fire safety before planning permission is granted. The information will be submitted in the form of a fire statement as part of the planning application. Local planning authorities must gain specialist advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), acting as the statutory consultee on fire safety, before a decision is made on the application. The role of a statutory consultee on fire safety is expected to be part of the new Building Safety Regulator, which will be led by the HSE. The requirements follow the recommendation made by Dame Judith Hackitt as part of the Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-planning-requirements-on-fire-safety-come-into-force
    https://www.hse.gov.uk/building-safety/index.htm

  • 29/7/21
    The UK Government (MCLG) published new figures which showed that, in England, 251,000 Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were lodged between June 2020 and June 2021 (16% increase on June 2019 to June 2020), while the Welsh figures show that in the same time period, 9,000 EPCs were lodged for new buildings and 79,000 EPCs were lodged for existing dwellings (17% increase on the previous year). Between April and June 2021, 85% of new buildings in England and 86% of new buildings in Wales were given an energy rating of A or B.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/latest-figures-show-increase-in-new-energy-efficient-homes

  • 29/7/21
    The UK Government (DEFRA and MCLG) have announced that over £860m will be spent on boosting design and construction of more than 1,000 schemes across England in 2021–22. This forms part of the Flood and Coastal Erosion Investment Plan and will be accompanied by a consultation on how to better protect frequently flooded communities.
     Click to view>>

  • 29/7/21
    Consultation: The UK Government (BEIS) is seeking views on amending the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020. The proposed introduction of two statutory instruments is expected to address a number of residual technical issues identified during the development and legislation of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). This Consultation runs until 7th September 2021
    Click to view>>

  • 27/7/21
    A New Central Register and Certification Scheme for Building Safety Managers  has been launched by the Building Safety Alliance
    The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has launched the Building Safety Alliance, an independent not for profit organisation aiming to implement certification of competent individuals wishing to deliver the role of building safety manager (BSM) and an accessible register of those certified.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-07-27-new-central-register-and-certification-scheme-for-building-safety-managers-launched

  • 23/7/21
    The UK Government (BEIS) has published a policy paper on the new UK Innovation Strategy. The Strategy focuses on supporting businesses to innovate by utilising the UK’s research, development and innovation system and aims to clearly establish the right underlying policy environment and signal those areas where the government will lead. The UK Innovation Strategy also considers innovation in relation to renewables and nuclear energy.
    Click to view>>

  • 20/7/21
    The UK Government (BEIS) has created the policy paper: 'Transitioning to a net zero energy system: smart systems and flexibility plan 2021', which sets how we will transition to a smart, flexible, decarbonised energy system.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transitioning-to-a-net-zero-energy-system-smart-systems-and-flexibility-plan-2021

  • 15/7/21
    The Home Builders Federation (HBF) produced their latest edition of their Housing Pipeline Report - Q4 2020 - published on 19th July 2021. The number of units approved stabilised during the fourth quarter, being 1% up on the previous three months but 21% down on pre-pandemic levels seen in the fourth quarter of 2019.
    https://www.hbf.co.uk/news/housing-pipeline-report-q4-2020-report-published-july-2021/

  • 07/21
    Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research (Cambridge University) and Places for People has produced a new study: "Deploying Modular Housing in the UK".The report outlines a vision for accelerating modular construction and calls for more government support.
    https://www.cchpr.landecon.cam.ac.uk/Research/Start-Year/2019/housing_market_wider_economy/deploying-modular-housing-uk-exploring

  • 07/21
    Hewes & Associates published the latest update to their 'Construction Outlook' series in July 2021. After declining by 14% in 2020, the outlook for UK construction output is one of a rebound of close to 10% in 2021, followed by near stability in workloads to 2023.
    https://www.hewes-associates.com/construction-outlook-july-2021/

  • 07/21
    CIBSE announce the publication of their latest edition of 'COVID-19: Ventilation (v5)'. The guide offers an outline of ventilation systems commonly encountered in buildings and to advise on how they can be used, now and in the future, to maintain adequate air quality and reduce the risks of airborne infection.
    https://www.cibse.org/knowledge/knowledge-items/detail?id=a0q3Y00000HsaFtQAJ
  • 25/07/21
    RICS works with UK Government on 'First Homes' scheme
    The Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has been working in close collaboration with MHCLG to ensure that RICS guidance in this space is recognised and aligned given the vital role an independent valuation will play in this process
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/rics-works-with-uk-government-on-first-homes-scheme/

  • 24/07/21
    Housebuilder’s costs on the rise
    The Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has  warned that housebuilders costs increased by 1.7% in 1Q2021 and by 3.6% between 1Q 2020 and 1Q 2021, according to their BCIS Private Housing Construction Price Index (PHCPI).
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/private-housebuilders-costs-continued-to-increase-in-1q-2021/
  • 23/7/21
    Bills: The Building Safety Bill
    A Bill to make provision about the safety of people in or about buildings and the standard of buildings, to amend the Architects Act 1997, and to amend provision about complaints made to a housing ombudsman. This Bill was updated on 23rd July 2021 and is at Committee Stage in the House of Commons with the date yet to be announced.
     https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021

  • 23/7/21
    Bills: The Environment Bill
    A Bill to make provision about targets, plans and policies for improving the natural environment; for statements and reports about environmental protection; for the Office for Environmental Protection; about waste and resource efficiency; about air quality.This Bill was updated on 23rd July 2021 and has reached the House of Lords for its third reading. The Bill will move to report stage on 6th September 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2593

  • 22/7/21
    Bills: Climate and Ecology Bill. Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill).
     A Bill to require the United Kingdom to achieve climate and nature targets; to give the Secretary of State a duty to implement a strategy to achieve those targets; to establish a Climate and Nature Assembly to advise the Secretary of State in creating that strategy; to give duties to the Committee on Climate Change and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee regarding the strategy and targets; and for connected purposes. This Bill was updated on 22nd July 2021 and is due its second reading in the House of Commons on 10th September 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2943

  • 22/7/21
    Bills: The UK Government (MHCLG) has published the Building Regulation Advisory Committee's 'Golden Thread Report', as recommended by Dame Judith Hackitt in her report, 'Building a safer future'. The report will support duty-holders in designing, constructing and managing their buildings as holistic systems, taking into account building safety at all stages in the lifecycle, provide clarity on the golden thread policy and the changes it will require of the construction industry.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-regulations-advisory-committee-golden-thread-report

  • 22/7/21
    Bills: Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings (No. 2) Bill
    A Bill to make provision to increase the minimum energy performance of buildings; and for connected purposes. This Bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on 20th July and is due its second reading on 22nd October 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3036

  • 22/7/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has announced that the External Wall Survey 1 (EWS1) forms will no longer be needed for buildings with cladding which are under 18 metres. This follows the publication of a report produced by an independent expert group and commissioned by the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, which looked at building safety in medium and lower-rise blocks of flats, and which concluded there is no systemic risk of fire in such buildings.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-intervention-from-government-and-lenders-to-support-leaseholders

  • 21/7/21
    Consultation:The Building Safety Levy.
    This consultation seeks views on the design of a proposed levy on developers who seek regulatory permission to build certain high rise residential buildings.This Consultation started on 21st July and will close on 15th October 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-building-safety-levy

  • 21/7/21
    The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has invited applications to apply for their Task Group which will help shape the content of the first deliverable of the 'Resilience and Nature Based Solutions programme: the measuring and reporting of physical risk'.  
    The project aims to bring together the real estate and construction sector with the finance sector, in order to build consensus on how best to measure and report the physical risks from climate change to individual built assets. 
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-opens-applications-for-measuring-and-reporting-of-physical-risk-task-group/

  • 21/7/21
    In response to the consultation in January 2021 on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in light of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission’s ‘Living with beauty’ report, the UK Government (MHCLG) has published a revised NPPF on 20 July 2021, which replaces the previous version of February 2019.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework--2

  •  21/7/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has launched a Consultation seeking views on the design and calculation of a proposed building safety levy, and evidence on the possible impacts on housing supply and regeneration, and the house building industry. The proposed levy would apply to developers who seek regulatory permission to build certain high rise residential buildings, the Gateway 2 stage of the new building safety regime. The consultation closes on 15 October 2021.
    Read more here

  • 20/7/21
    Consultation: Design of the Energy Company Obligation ECO4: 2022-2026
    This Consultation is seeking  views on our proposed changes to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme for the next scheme (ECO4), due to begin in April 2022. The Consultation started on 20th July 2021 and will close on 31st August 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/design-of-the-energy-company-obligation-eco4-2022-2026

  • 20/07/21
    The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has published its Construct Zero Performance Framework. The framework sets out commitments for carbon reduction across sectors and a series of measures and metrics to show how progress is being made and will provide government and the industry with a comprehensive view at a sector level on progress. The measures include tracking the number of domestic retrofits, changes in the amount of non-diesel plant used and reductions in the amount of energy used to produce key products.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-07-21-industry-journey-to-net-zero

  • 20/07/21
    Following the conclusion and response to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and National Model Design Code (NMDC) Consultations, the UK Government has published the finalised 'National Model Design Code' for buildings. The code is intended to provide detailed guidance on the production of design codes, guidance and policies to promote high quality design.
    Read more here

  • 20/7/21
    Consultation: Facilitating the deployment of large-scale and long-duration electricity storage: call for evidence
    This Consultation is seeking evidence about barriers to the deployment of large-scale and long-duration electricity storage, and on different approaches for supporting the deployment of these technologies. The Consultation started on 20th July 2021 and ends on 28th September 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/facilitating-the-deployment-of-large-scale-and-long-duration-electricity-storage-call-for-evidence

  • 20/07/21
    The UK Government (BEIS) has launched a Consultation on 'Competition and Consumer Policy.'  The consultation sets out proposals to address markets which are lacking proper competition and highlights that consumers’ rights in some areas need protecting.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/competition-and-consumer-policy-consultation-launched/

  • 16/07/21
    World's first 3D-printed steel footbridge opens. 
    The world's first 3D-printed steel structure, dubbed a 'living laboratory' bridge because of its digital twin and co-developed by Imperial College London, has been opened to the public in Amsterdam.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/world-s-first-3d-printed-steel-footbridge-opens.html

  • 15/7/21
    The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that it has launched the RIBA Fire Safety Compliance Tracker, which is a new tool that allows its members to record and share fire safety information.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/riba-launches-fire-safety-compliance-tracker

  • 14/7/21
    The Welsh Government has announced that the Welsh Building Safety Fund will cover fire safety surveys for multi-occupied buildings over 11 metres to ensure residents’ safety. 
    All buildings over 11 metres can apply and those over 18 metres will be given priority. The surveys will assess cladding issues and internal issues, such as ineffective compartmentation, and the findings will inform the Fire Safety Building Passport, which will set out identified defects, required action and when fire safety measures must be implemented.
    https://gov.wales/welsh-government-takes-action-building-safety

  • 14/7/21
    Consultation: Decarbonisation readiness: call for evidence on the expansion of the 2009 Carbon Capture Readiness requirements
    This consultation seeks initial views and evidence on an expansion to the 2009 Carbon Capture Readiness (CCR) requirements, in partnership with the Welsh Government .This Consultation started on 14th July and will close on 22nd Sepember 2021.
    Read more here

  • 13/7/21
    The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Academy has launched a Level 6 Diploma in Building Safety Management
    https://www.ciob.org/ciob-launches-building-safety-diploma


  • 13/7/21
    The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has produced a new report regarding climate change in infrastructure projects. Survey results, conducted for the report, show that infrastructure projects do not prioritise climate change as a concern. Out of 900 UK-based members of ICE, 66% thought greater emphasis needs to be placed on greenhouse gas emissions, while only 15% said they consider climate change and greenhouse gas emissions throughout their infrastructure projects.
    https://www.ice.org.uk/news-and-insight/latest-ice-news/good-design-project-launch

  • 13/7/21
    The Carbon Trust announces its new offshore wind report that analyses the technical opportunities and challenges for the floating offshore wind sector to overcome, as it moves towards commercial scale farms. The findings are the result of the latest renewable energy project, undertaken by the Floating Wind Joint Industry Project (JIP) and managed by the Carbon Trust.
    https://www.carbontrust.com/news-and-events/news/new-industry-report-addresses-technical-challenges-as-floating-offshore-wind

  • 9/7/21
    SI 2021/814
    Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2021
    This Order amends, primarily, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (“the GPDO”). The GPDO provides, for the purposes of section 59 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (c. 8), for the granting of permission for certain classes of development without the requirement for a planning application to be made under Part 3 of that ActLaid before the House of Lords on 9th July 2021 and coming into force on 1st August 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/814/made

  • 9/7/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published monthly construction data for May 2021, which details how construction output fell by 0.8% while remaining 'slightly above' pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic February 2020 level. CLC has attributed the decline in construction output to declines in new work (0.4%) and repair and maintenance (1.5%). Conversely, construction output grew by 6.3% in the three months to May 2021 against the previous three-month period.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-output-falls-0-8-in-may/

  • 8/7/21
    Net zero buildings: where do we stand? A new report from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), supported by Arup, is calling on the built environment industry to adopt a whole life-cycle approach to assessing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings. The authors of the report estimate that less than 1% of building projects currently calculate and report their full carbon footprint.
    https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/construction-industry-needs-whole-life-carbon-understanding-to-hit-net-zero-new-report-shows

  • 8/7/21
    Analysis of the changes the Building Safety Bill proposes to introduce to the Defective Premises Act 1972 (DPA 1972)and the limitation periods for causes of action arising under DPA 1972 and the Building Act 1984 (BA 1984).
    Read the report prepared by Lexis Nexis (PDF)


  • 7/7/21
    Bills: Fire and Building Safety (Public Inquiry) Bill. Private Members' Bill (under the Ten Minute Rule)
    A Bill to establish an independent public inquiry into the Government’s response to concerns about fire and building safety. This Bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on 6th July 2021 and its second reading on 10th September 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3024/

  • 7/7/21
    Regulations: SI 2021/Draft: Building (Appointment of Persons, Industry Competence and Dutyholders) (England) Regulations 2021
    These draft Regulations are laid to require each client to make suitable arrangements in relation to the planning, managing and monitoring of any work, and provide that where a project includes higher-risk building work the client must make arrangements to ensure designers and contractors are aware
    http://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/997754/Scope_draft_regulations.pdf

  • 7/7/21
    The Construction Innovation Hub, in conjunction with the Construction Product Association, has launched a Public Consultation on its project called 'LEXiCON' to streamline information sharing in the construction sector.  The purpose of the initiative is to standardise construction product data sharing on projects, allowing construction professionals to better use product information to optimise designs and improve digital records. The Consultation runs until 18th August 2021.
    https://constructioninnovationhub.org.uk/lexicon-the-new-language-of-data-management/


  • 7/7/21
    Regulations: SI 2021/Draft: Higher-Risk Buildings (Descriptions and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2021
    These draft Regulations are laid to specify the description of buildings to which the Part 3 of the Building Safety Act 2021 applies as a building which contains at least two residential units, a care home, or a hospital.
    http://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/997754/Scope_draft_regulations.pdf

  • 6/7/21
    Consultation: Strengthening the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)
    This Consultation seeks views on proposed changes to improve and strengthen the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)  .This Consultation started on 6th July and will close on 28nd September 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-energy-savings-opportunity-scheme-esos

  •  5/7/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) published a new Building Safety Bill on 5 July 2021, which reforms building safety regulation. Reforms detailed in the Bill include establishing a new regime for building safety regulation and attributing greater powers to residents in tower blocks to hold builders and developers to account. The new regime will be overseen by the new Building Safety Regulator.The Bill began its passage through parliament and had its first reading in the House of Commons on 5 July 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-regulator-at-heart-of-building-safety-overhaul

  • 4/7/21
    Regulations: SI 2021/draft
    Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Amendment) Regulations 2021.

    These Regulations make amendments to legislation in the field of ecodesign and energy labelling for energy-related products. The first reading was held on 5th of July and awaiting reading in the House of Lords.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2021/9780348225549

  • 1/7/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has announced that 49,470 new homes were built in the UK during the first three months of 2021, which, according to the department, is the highest figure in more than 20 years.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-building-stats-show-continued-increase-in-starts-and-completions-despite-pandemic

  • 1/7/21
    Regulations: SI 2021/draft
    Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Lighting Products) Regulations 2021

    These Regulations specify ecodesign requirements for light sources and separate control gears, and energy labelling requirements for light sources. Laid before the House of Commons and the House of Lords on 1st July 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2021/9780348225488

  • 30/6/21
    Regulations: SI 2021/789
    Gas Act 1986 and Electricity Act 1989 (Electronic Communications) Order 2021.

    This Order amends the Gas Act 1986 (c. 44) and the Electricity Act 1989 (c. 29) to enable the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority and the Secretary of State to send documents and notices by electronic means, where the recipient has indicated their willingness to receive documents and notices of the relevant kind in this way (and has not withdrawn that indication). Laid before Parliament on 5th July and coming into force on 1st August 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/789/made

  • 30/6/21
    'Sustainable living—making UK homes net zero by 2025'.  Lexis Nexis offer insights.
    Read more here (PDF)

  • 25/6/21
    ‘Planning gateway one’—information on fire safety measures published
    MHCLG has published further information on measures to ensure the consideration of fire safety issues, which must be incorporated at the planning stage for schemes related to high-rise residential buildings in England. The new measures form part of ‘planning gateway one’, which in turn is part of the building safety regime that the government proposes to introduce as part of the Building Safety Bill, in response to the Hackitt Review. They will apply to applications for planning permissions made on or after 1 August 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fire-safety-and-high-rise-residential-buildings-from-1-august-2021

  • The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has reported a 3.6% increase in costs for housebuilders between 1Q 2020 and 1Q 2021. According to RICS, respondents to the BCIS Private Housing Construction Price Index survey attributed this to shortages of building materials, as well as transport and energy costs. Respondents have predicted a continuation of rising costs into Q2 2021. However, RICS states that productivity has improved during the quarter, and should rise once revised working practices are established.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/private-housebuilders-costs-continued-to-increase-in-1q-2021/

  • 24/6/21
    The World Green Building Council (WGBC) has published its Advancing Net Zero Status Report for 2021, which looks at leadership action from Green Building Councils and building and construction organisations towards achieving the total decarbonisation of the sector.
    https://worldgbc.org/advancing-net-zero-status-report-2021

  • 17/6/21
    Actuate UK asks for UKCA mark transition for construction products to be extended
    Actuate UK asks for an extension of the transition time to the new Brexit arrangements to avoid delays and allow all products to be tested and accredited. Actuate UK has issued a warning about serious consequences for businesses, public and commercial projects as well as domestic customers in only six months if a major issue regarding product compliance and standard marking is not resolved.
    https://www.feta.co.uk/news/latest-news/actuate-uk-asks-for-ukca-mark-transition-for-construction-products-to-be-extended

  • 25/6/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has published measures on fire safety matters, which should be incorporated during the planning stage for schemes related to high-rise residential buildings in England.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fire-safety-and-high-rise-residential-buildings-from-1-august-2021

  • 24/6/21
    SI 2021/746.  Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure and Section 62A Applications) (England) (Amendment) Order 2021
    This Regulations was made on 22nd June and comes into force on 16th July 2021.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/timeline/yG8TQNRB/SI-2021746/

  • The Climate Change Commitee (CCC) has published it's Annual Report and presented it to the UK Parliament.  The CCC's annual assessment charts the progress in reducing emissions and biennial assessment of progress in adapting to climate change in the United Kingdom.
    https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/2021-progress-report-to-parliament/

  • 24/6/21
    RIBA blogs on the UK Government's progress on its climate change initiatives: 'Now is the time for Government to step up and urgently set out a comprehensive policy package for buildings decarbonisation and publish the Heat and Buildings Strategy'.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/ribareacts-to-climate-change-committee-report

  • 24/6/21
    The World Green Building Council (WGBC) has published its 'Advancing Net Zero Status Report for 2021', which looks at leadership action from Green Building Councils (GBCs) and building and construction organisations towards achieving the total decarbonisation of the sector.
    https://worldgbc.org/advancing-net-zero-status-report-2021

  • 24/6/21
    RIBA and Architects Declare launched an open call for evidence and research around six key themes on climate action, earlier this month. Submissions were selected for a report, culminating in its discussion at the Built Environment Summit, which will be held virtually and in London the week before COP26. The submissions to the Consultation are being selected for the final report and will be discussed at the Built Environment Summit a week before COP26. The consultation closed on 14 June 2021.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/built-environment-summit-open-call

  • 24/6/21
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released their latest cost/price forecasts for civil engineering, produced by their BCIS service.
    There will be strong growth in civil engineering demand over the next five years, which, coupled with pressure from resource costs, will result in tender prices generally rising at over 4% per annum.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/bcis-five-year-civil-engineering-forecast3/

  • 24/6/21
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released their latest cost forecasts for the FM sector, produced by their BCIS service.
    The forecast outlines that between Q1 2020 and Q1 2026, maintenance costs are expected to rise by 14% and cleaning costs by 18%. In addition, according to the forecast, energy costs will rise by 19%, given the shift away from fossil fuels, and refurbishment and maintenance output will grow by roughly 13%.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/bcis-forecasts-for-the-fm-sector4/

  • 24/6/21
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released their latest figures on housebuilders' costs.
    Housebuilders costs increased by 1.7% in 1Q2021 and by 3.6% between 1Q 2020 and 1Q 2021 according to the RICS BCIS Private Housing Construction Price Index.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/private-housebuilders-costs-continued-to-increase-in-1q-2021/

  • 23/6/21
    Industry and Regulators Committee calls for evidence for net zero and Ofgem inquiry
    Consultation: The Industry and Regulators Committee has opened a call for evidence for its inquiry into Ofgem and net zero. The Committee seeks to determine if the regulator is adequately equipped to satisfy the role that has been assigned to it in the transition to net zero, since Ofgem was initially intended solely to protect consumers. The call for evidence will close on 22 August 2021.
    https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/517/industry-and-regulators-committee/news/156063/call-for-evidence-launched-on-ofgem-and-net-zero/

  • 22/6/21
    The UK Government (DEFRA) publishes an overview of its climate change adaptation policy
    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published policy information outlining the actions the government is taking to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. The paper outlines the framework in place for assessing risk and making appropriate preparations, through bodies such as the Climate Change Committee and the National Adaptation Programme.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-adaptation-policy-information/climate-change-adaptation-policy-information

  • 22/6/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published a statement on current construction product availability.
    The statement indicates that global product availability remains unchanged , highlighting the current pressure on the supply chain following record sales of building materials. It also highlights delays caused by a driver shortage following Brexit and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Furthermore, the publication states that elevated prices are expected to remain throughout 2021 when taking into account price inflation, high demand and short supply.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-product-availability-statement-4/

  • 22/6/21
    The Climate and Ecology Bill was amended on 22nd June.
    This Bill was created to help the United Kingdom to achieve climate and nature targets. The second reading is due in September 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2943

  • 22/6/21
    Bills: A new 'Clean Air Targets (World Health Organization Guidelines) Bill' was updated on 22nd June 2021. The next stage for this Bill, Second reading, is scheduled to take place on Friday 10 December 2021.This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented to Parliament on Monday 21 June 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2934

  • 21/6/21
    Bills: The Domestic Building Works (Consumer Protection) Bill was laid before Parliament on 21st June 2021.  A Private Members' Bill, it is intended to make provision about consumer protection in relation to domestic building works; and for connected purposes. The Second Reading will be in November 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2920

  • 21/6/21
    Bill: The Environment Bill reached its Committee Stage reading on 21st June 2021, shortly before coming an Act. The Bill is intended to make provision about targets, plans and policies for improving the natural environment.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2593

  • 18/6/21
    The Climate Change Bill, a Private's Members'Bill, was presented to Parliament on 18th June 2021.  
    This is a Bill to place a duty on the Government to declare a climate emergency; to amend the Climate Change Act 2008 to bring forward the date by which the United Kingdom is required to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The second reading is due in December 2021.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2903

  • 18/6/21
    The UK Government launches ‘wonderfully innovative’ net zero ‘visions’ project
    The government has announced the launch of a project using international collaboration to help countries ‘envision what a climate-resilient, net zero future would look like for them.’
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-cop26-presidency-to-unveil-visions-of-a-global-net-zero-future
     
  • 17/6/21
    The UK Government (HM Treasury) has announced the opening of the UK Infrastructure Bank in Leeds, which aims to support local growth and tackle climate change. It will be tasked with accelerating investment into infrastructure projects, cutting emissions and levelling up every region of the UK. It will also help to finance projects in sectors including clean energy, transport, digital, water and waste.
    Read more>>

  • 17/6/21
    The Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) has published a press release by Actuate UK, asking for the UKCA Mark transition time for construction products to be extended to allow all products to be tested and accredited.
    Actuate UK has warned about serious consequences for businesses, public and commercial projects.
    https://www.bsria.com/uk/news/article/actuate_uk_have_issued_a_press_release_asking_for_the_ukca_mark_transition_for_construction_products_to_be_extended/

  • 17/6/21
    The CIC launches a Carbon Zero climate action plan for Professional Institutions
    This plan identifies 10 areas of work, which embrace all interests within CIC, and were developed in close collaboration with a diverse range of institutions, organisations and individuals. Signatories will all commit to creating their climate action plans before CoP26.
    Read the plan here:
    https://www.cic.org.uk/admin/resources/cic-carbon-zero-climate-action-plan-for-professional-institutions.pdf (PDF)
    Press release:
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-06-17-cic-launches-a-carbon-zero-climate-action-plan-for-professional-institutions

  • 17/6/21
    The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) and the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) have launched a new Consultation on a new 'Homes Quality Code'.
    The Consultation runs from 17th June to 17th July 2021. The code, which has been in development for approximately four years, is to be the focal point on new arrangements currently being put in place by the NHQB, which includes the appointment of an independent New Homes Ombudsman Service. In addition, the code has had input from various stakeholders, and takes into account recent policy developments, such as on leasehold and building safety.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/consultation-new-homes-quality-code-closing-date-1-july-2021.html

  • 16/6/21
    The UK Government (BEIS) has published information about the Sustainable Warmth Competition and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The competition is open to local authorities who can apply for funding to go towards the installation of low carbon heating and energy saving upgrades in low-income households
    Read more here>>

  • 16/6/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CIC) has published a code: 'The Carbon Reduction Code for the Built Environment'.
    It was developed on behalf of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and is part of the Council’s Construct Zero initiative, which seeks to facilitate action and collaboration by relevant parties to reduce carbon emissions in design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning of built assets.
    https://www-smartinfrastructure.eng.cam.ac.uk/whatwedo/Resources/csic-papers-and-documents/carbon-reduction-code-built-environment

  • 16/6/21
    Making all heritage buildings in conservation areas energy efficient could reduce carbon emissions by 5%, according to a new report 'Heritage and Carbon' compiled by a partnership involving The National Trust, Historic England and others.
    https://www.grosvenor.com/our-businesses/grosvenor-britain-ireland/environmental-leadership/case-studies-insights/heritage-and-carbon

  • 16/6/21
    The Climate Change Committee has published new advice to the UK Government on climate change: 'The Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk'.
    The report assesses more than 60 risks and opportunities from climate change in the UK. The assessment finds that action to improve the nation’s resilience is failing to keep pace with the impacts of a warming planet and increasing climate risks facing the UK.
    https://www.ukclimaterisk.org/

  • 14/6/21
    Bill: The Planning (Enforcement) Bill, a Private Members' Bill, was laid before Parliament on 16th June. It is intended to create offences relating to repeat breaches of planning controls; to make provision about penalties for planning offences; to establish a national register of persons who have committed planning offences
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2905

  • 14/6/21
    Consultation: The UK Government  (BEIS) has announced it is seeking views on the risk of carbon leakage due to the indirect emission cost from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and compensation price support (CPS) mechanism plus feedback on sector eligibility and scheme design. The Consultation runs from 9th June to 14th August 2021.
    Click here to view more>>
     
  • 11/6/21
    Consultation: Review of Building Bulletin 100: design for fire safety in schools. This Consultation was concluded in May 2019 but the final report was published on 11th June 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-building-bulletin-100-design-for-fire-safety-in-schools

  •  10/6/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) published their response to a Consultation on the Architects Act.
    RIBA inputted into the original Consultation and has now published its own response to the Government proposals in the Consultation.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/what-the-architects-act-consultation-means-for-you

  • 9/6/21
    Consultation: Draft Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Regulations (Lighting Products) 2021. 
    This Consultation was concluded on 27th January 2021 and sought views on proposed updates the existing ecodesign and energy labelling requirements which currently apply to light sources and separate control gears ('lighting products') in the UK. The final report was published on 9th June 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-ecodesign-and-energy-labelling-regulations-lighting-sources-2021

  • 9/6/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has launched its new Construct Zero website, which will provide a single hub for all information relating to the construction industry’s change programme in the Race to net Zero.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/constructzero/

  • 7/6/21
    The Leadership Council (CLC) has launched its ‘industry placement card’, with the aim of helping learners into a career in construction.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/cscs-card-to-help-learners-into-construction.html

  • 2/6/21
    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared a ‘retrofit revolution’ which involves a series of measures to build ultra-low carbon buildings, challenge the climate emergency and to form ‘green’ jobs in London. The new plan is set to align with and enhance London’s Green New Deal mission and also aid with increasing the uptake of solar energy this decade. The Mayor will collaborate with London Councils and social housing providers, known as the Innovation Partnership, which is said to ease the process for social landlords and UK building firms to upgrade ageing homes in London.
    https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-declares-a-retrofit-revolution

  • 2/6/21
    The Scottish Government has announced a new national service across NHS Scotland, called NHS Scotland Assure, to help improve the quality and management of healthcare construction and refurbishment projects.
    https://www.gov.scot/news/nhs-scotland-assure/
     
  • 1/6/21 The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published its second iteration of the 'National Retrofit Strategy', a twenty-year blueprint for how the construction industry can work with Government to retrofit the UK’s 28 million existing homes.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/national-retrofit-strategy-v2-launches/

  • 1/6/21
    Consultation: Smart meter policy framework post 2020: minimum annual targets and reporting thresholds for energy suppliers - government response. 
    This Consultation was concluded on 15th January 2021 and sought views on annual tolerance levels associated with smart meter installation targets for energy suppliers in Great Britain and the level of reporting thresholds for large energy suppliers.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/smart-meter-policy-framework-post-2020-minimum-annual-targets-and-reporting-thresholds-for-energy-suppliers

  • 28/5/21
    SI 2021/draft. Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2021.
    This draft Order is laid to modify the Renewables Obligation Order (Northern Ireland) 2009, SR 2009/154, to update, temporarily, the definition of the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance Standard, for the 12-month period beginning with 1 June 2021. It comes into force on 1 June 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nidsr/2021/9780338016140

  • 21/5/21
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released its latest blog: 'RICS leadership to create greener homes', which reviews UK Government's net zero aims, CoP26 and the role RICS intends to play. Other work done by RICS in this area includes being a partner in the Valuations and Lending Underwriting Energy Reduction (VALUER) Project which seeks to improve private home energy performance, setting the RICS Home Survey Standard to allow for better assessment of energy performance, and helping implement the Optimised Retrofit project in Wales, to retrofit existing homes with low-carbon energy alternatives.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/rics-leadership-to-create-greener-homes/
  • 28/5/21
    Arup appointed as sustainability consultants for G7 Summit. The UK Government has appointed engineering, design and consultancy firm Arup, with Crowberry Consulting, to help the event achieve ISO 20121 certification and deliver a carbon-neutral event by developing a Carbon Management Plan, working with key suppliers to source sustainably and reduce waste.
    https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/arup-appointed-as-sustainability-consultants-for-g7-summit

  • 28/5/21
    The UK Government (DfE) as published the summary and response to its Consultation on the Building Bulletin 100 design guide for fire safety in schools. The Consultation aimed to ensure the guidance is fit for purpose and sought views on multiple areas such as school building designers and fire and rescue services.
     Click to view>>

  • 27/5/21
    A Government Consultation seeking views on a revised version of the Building Bulletin 100 design guide for fire safety in schools. The Consultation opened on 27th May and continues until 17th August 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/building-bulletin-100-fire-safety-design-for-schools
  • 27/5/21
    CIAT joins forces with other organisations to launch Built Environment Virtual Pavilion for COP26. CIAT is part of a coalition of built environment organisations supporting the delivery of a Built Environment Virtual Pavilion, ahead of the UN's COP26 Climate Summit in November.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/industry-joins-forces-to-launch-built-environment-virtual-pavilion-for-cop26.html

  • 26/5/21
    The UK Government announces £166m cash injection for green technology and development as part of Green Industrial Revolution, including carbon capture, greenhouse gas removal and hydrogen.
    Click to view>>

  • 26/5/21
    The Environment Bill continues through Parliament. New amendments will include legally-binding 2030 species target and measures to reduce waste discharges into rivers.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/environment-bill-continues-through-parliament

  • 26/5/21
    RICS publishes Land Measurement for Planning and Development Purposes, which provides guidance for surveyors engaged in preparing land for development.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/upholding-professional-standards/sector-standards/land/land-measurement-for-planning-and-development-purposes-global-guidance-note-1st-edition/

  • 25/5/21
    A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been announced cementing a pledge for the US and the UK to work together on the development of the US National Building Information Management (BIM) Programme.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/press-release-uk-us-collaborate-improve-built-environment

  • 25/5/21
    Greenpeace UK and WWF UK have published a report which shows that UK banks, asset managers and other financial institutions were responsible for emitting 805 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2019, 1.8 times as much as the total annual net carbon dioxide emissions of the rest of the UK
    https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/uk-banks-and-investors-responsible-for-nearly-double-the-uks-annual-carbon-emissions-report-finds/

  • 25/5/21
    Arup has been awarded funding by the UK Government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), to demonstrate the feasibility of using carbon capture technologies within UK infrastructure projects to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
    https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/arup-to-explore-carbon-capture-tech-for-use-in-uk-infrastructure-schemes
     
  • 25/5/21
    The Building a Safer Future (BSF) Charter has launched its ‘Charter Champion’ company initiative to help companies drive the systemic culture change required to put building safety first.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-05-20-building-a-safer-future-charter-launches

  • 24/5/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published a construction product availability statement, projecting strong demand and shortages in supply until November 2021. It is reported that these projections are mirrored in other major economies worldwide, such as China, the USA and the EU
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-product-availability-statement-3/

  • 24/5/21
    The UK Government announces a boost for housebuilders as Homes England prepares to launch new dynamic purchasing system.
    On 1 September Homes England will launch its new Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), making it easier for homebuilders to apply for projects.
    Click to view>>

  • 24/5/21
    The UK Government (BEIS) has launched a competition for innovative ideas in relation to carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) technologies. Up to £20m is available as a grant, which will be portioned about between winners.
    Click to view>>

  • 24/5/21
    Ofgem announces £300 million investment for over 200 low carbon projects to get Britain ready for more electric transport and heat.
    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-delivers-300-million-down-payment-rewire-britain

  • 24/5/21
    The NBS has launched this year's 'Digital Construction Survey' (formerly known as the 'BIM Survey'.) and is inviting the general public to respond.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-05-24-take-part-in-the-new-nbs-digital-construction-survey

  • 21/5/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has announced that local councils have been given funding to develop new local design guide for housing development to ensure that buildings are well designed, beautiful and locally led.  The national code is to be tested across 14 areas in England.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/councils-given-funding-boost-to-develop-new-local-design-guide-for-housing-development

  • 21/5/21
    The Construction Leadership Council’s Net Zero workstream, CO2nstruct Zero is seeking views from the public on how the industry should demonstrate progress on its collective Net Zero journey. The CLC plans to create a performance framework out of the responses, which will include commitments, targets and milestones to illustrate how the industry is moving towards carbon neutrality.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-05-21-industry-input-sought-on-demonstrating-net-zero-progress

  • 20/5/21
    The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has published a report outlining priority areas for transforming London’s infrastructure. The report makes ten recommendations to the Mayor of London, which emphasise the necessity of a strong focus on resilience as the city recovers from coronavirus (COVID-19).
    https://www.ice.org.uk/news-and-insight/latest-ice-news/10-point-plan-outlines-infrastructure-priorities

  • 20/5/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published results of the third cross-industry ‘People Survey’, which was carried out in April 2021 by Build UK on behalf of the CLC. The survey predicts a reduction of 1.2% in the size of the workforce by July 2021, and a 1.7% reduction in EU workers by this date.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/clc-people-survey-maintaining-employment-in-construction/

  • 19/5/21
    RICS BCIS publish their latest five-year market forecast for construction materials costs. 'The combined effects of COVID-19 and Brexit have put pressure on supply prices' says RICS.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/bcis-five-year-forecast-may-2021/

  • The UK Government provides more than £830 million to UK Local Councils to improve their high streets. The aim is to 'improve transport links, build new homes and transform underused spaces.
    Click to view>>

  • The UK Water Industry Association (UKWIR) invites debate with it's latest installment of its 'Big Question' series focusing on regulations development: 'How do We Ensure that the Regulatory Framework Incentivises Efficient Delivery of the Right Outcomes for Customers and the Environment?'
    https://ukwir.org/priority

  • The UK Water Industry Association (UKWIR) invites debate with it's latest installment of its 'Big Question' series focusing on carbon emissions reduction: 'How do we Remove more Carbon than we Emit by 2050?'
    https://ukwir.org/launching-the-carbon-big-question-projects

  • 17/5/21
    Ofwat has announced that the water sector will invest £2.8bn in environmental projects in an effort to help the country build back greener. Ofwat collaborated with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and CCW, and wrote to water companies in 2020 to challenge them to identify ways to support the country’s green economic recovery following coronavirus (COVID-19).
    https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/155220/ofwat-announcement-on-new-investment-in-environmental-projects

  • 17/5/21
    Homes England is inviting local council officers to join a 'Summer Learning Programme' aimed at sharing knowledge on topics ranging from effective project management to principles of market failure.
    Click to view>>

  • 17/5/21
    The UK Government (BEIS) has published its response to the report on Net Zero and COP26.  The BEIS Committee report, which was published on 5 March 2021, urged the Government to outline its ambitions for the COP26 climate summit more clearly and set out recommendations for issues around the coronavirus (COVID-19)
    https://committees.parliament.uk/work/98/net-zero-and-un-climate-summits/news/155204/cop-26-beis-committee-publishes-government-response-to-scrutiny-of-conference-preparations-report/

  • 18/5/21
    The Carbon Trust leads groundbreaking research on the flexible energy delivery needed achieve the UK Government's net zero targets.
    https://www.carbontrust.com/news-and-events/news/groundbreaking-analysis-reveals-a-fully-flexible-energy-system-could-cut-the

  • 17/5/21
    The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published a report on how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted behaviours and infrastructure requirements.
    https://nic.org.uk/studies-reports/behaviour-change-and-infrastructure-beyond-covid-19/

  • 13/5/21a
    The UK Government (BEIS) has published the sixth carbon budget (2033–2037) and added a link to the Draft Carbon Budget Order 2021, which proposes to set the sixth carbon budget at 965 MtCO2e, in line with the level advised by the Committee on Climate Change.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2021/9780348222616/contents

  • 13/5/21
    The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published its report: 'Behaviour change and infrastructure beyond Covid-19'.
    The study considers how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted behaviours and infrastructure requirements although it is too early to know whether changes in behavioural patterns will be a permanent consequence of the pandemic.
    https://nic.org.uk/studies-reports/behaviour-change-and-infrastructure-beyond-covid-19/

  • 13/5/21
    The Local Authority Government Soft Landings (GSL) Interactive Navigator has been launched by National Association of Construction Frameworks (NACF) and the Local Government Association (LGA) to help councils to get the most out of their buildings and estates.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/press-release-boosting-digital-transformation-local-authority-construction-projects

  • 13/5/21
    Building Research Establishment (BRE) launches a testing scheme for products used in mental health care facilities. The scheme aims to promote better selection of construction products offering patients more protection from self-harm and better environments conducive to recovery.
    https://www.bregroup.com/press-releases/world-first-testing-scheme-for-products-used-in-mental-health-care-facilities/

  • 12/5/21
    The Environmental Audit Committee calls for more measures to improve energy efficiency of existing homes
    The Environmental Audit Committee has stated that the UK Government’s response to its report on Energy Efficiency of Existing Homes ‘does little to alleviate concerns that sufficient action is being done to tackle the greenhouse gas emissions of the UK’s housing stock’. The report raised concerns that the government had underestimated the costs associated with the decarbonisation of all existing housing stock in the UK.
    Click to view>>

  • 12/5/21
    The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has welcomed the introduction of the Professional Qualifications Bill to Parliament. 
    The Professional Qualifications Bill has been introduced to Parliament, ensuring skilled professionals from around the world will have their qualifications recognised in the UK.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-ensure-the-uk-has-the-skills-it-needs

  • 12/5/21
    The Confederation of British Industry has published a joint statement by the business federations of the Group of 7 countries (B7) setting out recommendations for the G7 leaders ahead of the G7 summit on how to achieve sustainable and inclusive recovery, strengthen business collaboration, make progress toward net-zero emissions, and ensure prosperity for all. The final policy document, released after the B7 summit which took place between 11–12 May 2021, focuses predominantly on health, international mobility, macro-economic response, inclusive recovery, trade, climate, and digital.
    https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/b7-summit-2021-joint-statement/

  • 11/5/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has announced the construction output has grown by 5.8% in March 2021, because of growth in both new work and repair and maintenance.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-output-grew-by-5-8-in-march-2021/

  • 11/5/21
    The UK Government has published information and guidance on the arrangements for 'planning gateway one', which forms part of the building and fire safety reforms that it proposes to introduce following Dame Judith Hackitt's Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-safety-planning-gateway-one

  • 12/5/21
    A summary has been published by Lexis Nexis on the key housing, communities and local government announcements made in the 2021 Queen’s Speech on 11 May 2021, including updates on housing, planning and construction.
    Click to view (PDF) 

  • 11/5/2021
    The International Energy Agency has published the renewable energy market update for 2021. Renewables to account for 90 percent of power capacity expansion by 2022.
    https://www.iea.org/reports/renewable-energy-market-update-2021

  • 10/5/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has published a review of the existing Part R (physical infrastructure for electronic communications) and Part 9A of the Building Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2214. The document analyses the impact of the regulations on superfast broadband coverage in England and options for the next five-year period. The MHCLG confirms in the review that any changes to Part R would be subject to future consultations.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-part-r-physical-infrastructure-for-electronic-communications-and-part-9a-of-the-building-regulations

  • 10/5/21
    Transport for the North (TfN) has published its business plan for 2021–22. The plan details how the transport sector will be utilised to build back better and greener.
    https://transportforthenorth.com/press-release/northern-leaders-set-out-bold-business-plan-for-renewal-and-recovery-in-the-year-ahead/

  • 07/5/21
    Earlier this year the Government announced that it would introduce a new Residential Property Developer Tax as part of its Building Safety package. A Government Consultation has now opened on the policy design of the tax. The consultation runs until 22 July 2021.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-05-07-update-on-recent-building-safety-announcements

  • 06/05/21
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has reported that in the first quarter of 2021, the global construction market ‘appears to be firmly on a recovery footing’, with the Global Construction Activity Index rising to +14, compared to -24 in the second quarter of 2020.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/news-opinion/global-construction-market-appears-firmly-on-recovery-footing/

  • 06/5/21
    RIBA and Architects Declare launch open call for climate action research. 
    The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Architects Declare have launched an open call for research to present at the inaugural Built Environment Summit and to form accompanying report, which will be presented to global leaders at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). The call for evidence involves six key themes on climate action. RIBA is also inviting expressions of interest to sit on an Expert Advisory Panel, to support the choice of contributors and curation of the conference.  
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/riba-and-architects-declare-launch-open-call-for-climate-action-research

  • 06/5/21
    The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has announced that Welsh builders are reporting ‘soaring workloads and enquiries’, which the FMB has taken as ‘positive news’ after a difficult year during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
    https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/fastest-rise-in-enquiries-for-building-work-in-more-than-10-years-says-fmb-cymru.html

  • 06/5/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has announced construction’s net zero carbon business champions. The champions across the UK’s construction industry have declared their commitment to supporting CO2nstructZero—the construction industry’s response to the climate emergency. The business champions initiative allows companies to act as role models in the industry change programme.
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/constructions-net-zero-carbon-business-champions-announced/

  • 30/4/21
    The UK's National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published its corporate plan, which sets out its strategic programme of work from until March 2024. In the plan, the NIC has confirmed that the UK’s second National Infrastructure Assessment will be published in the second half of 2023 and that consultation and analysis to inform its approach will start in the second half of 2021.
    https://nic.org.uk/news/timeline-for-second-national-infrastructure-assessment-announced/

  • 30/4/21
    The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has released a new Technical Guide, entitled “Good Practice Guide – Control Sensor Selection and Installation”. Describes Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) sensors used in Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS).
    https://bcia.co.uk/news/bcia-releases-new-technical-guide-control-sensor-selection-and-installation/

  • 29/4/21
    The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published its new guide: ‘Principles for delivering urban Nature-based Solutions’ (NBS), to help developers and owners increase the incorporation of NBS within the construction and operation of built assets.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-launches-guidance-to-help-built-assets-adapt-to-climate-risk-and-enhance-nature/
     
  • 29/4/21
    The Fire Safety Bill, which aims to bring in tougher safety rules after the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, becomes law. The Bill makes unsafe cladding removal from blocks of flats the legal responsibility of the leaseholders.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2730

  • 28/4/21
    The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has announced the launch of their delivery of the Level 4 Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) Controls Engineer Apprenticeship.
    https://www.feta.co.uk/news/latest-news/launch-of-bems-controls-engineer-apprenticeship-heralds-a-bright-future-for-the-industry

  • 28/4/21
    The Chartered Institute of Housing analyses the latest 'UK Housing Review' (2021). Its analysis shows that of the £37.6bn that the UK Government is making available for new homes in England through grants, loans and guarantees until 2024 / 25, 46% (£17.23bn) is for new affordable housing.
    https://www.cih.org/blogs-and-articles/the-uk-housing-review-investment-in-housing

  • 28/4/21
    SI 2021/xx Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021 was laid before Parliament on 28th April 2021. More details to be found here:
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/timeline/kccB0Eaq/SI-2021/

  • 28/4/21
    The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published industry guidance called  'Principles for delivering urban nature-based solutions’ to assist developers and owners increase the incorporation of nature-based solutions (NBS) within the construction and operation of built assets, particularly climate and biodiversity.
    https://www.ukgbc.org/news/ukgbc-launches-guidance-to-help-built-assets-adapt-to-climate-risk-and-enhance-nature/

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published a 'Construction Product Availability Statement', which was written by the co-chairs of its Product Availability working group. The Statement discusses the current level of active demand across the construction industry, and the increasing pressure on the product supply chain as a result.
    https://cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-04-28-construction-product-availability-statement

  • 28/4/21
    The European Commission has launched a Public Consultation on wastewater treatment, with a view to updating Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 to ensure that urban waste-water is clean and safe for the environment and public health.
    https://ec.europa.eu/environment/news/commission-launches-public-consultation-update-rules-urban-wastewater-2021-04-28_en

  • 28/4/21
    The UK Government (Department for Education), in conjunction with CITB, has launched a new manual supporting flexible apprenticeships in construction.  It includes information and case studies about flexible training modules and accelerated apprenticeships.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-04-28-new-manual-supporting-flexible-apprenticeships-in-construction
    Manual (PDF) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/consultation-launched-to-create-new-flexible-apprenticeships

  • 28/4/21
    The Climate Framework Initiative, a cross action group of volunteers, has prepared its first draft of its 'Climate Framework Tier 3 Level Topics', which is available for public review until 10th May 2021.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-04-28-first-draft-of-the-climate-framework-tier-3-level-topicshttps://www.climateframework.com/resource-library

  • 27/7/21
    The High-rise Properties (Electrical Safety) Bill, (a Private Members Bill), has reached its second reading in the House of Commons.  The aim of the BIll is to make social landlords of high-rise properties regularly inspect dwellings for electrical safety.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2855

  • 27/4/21

    Covid Recovery Commission sets out blueprint for a National Prosperity Plan to boost growth and living standards over the next decade. Some of the UK’s leading business figures have set out the blueprint for a National Prosperity Plan to help create globally competitive industries in every part of the UK, deliver on the UK Government’s net zero commitments and reduce the economic and social inequalities that have been widened as a result of the pandemic. Its Paper is entitled ‘ Ambition 2030’: A Partnership for Growth’. https://covidrecoverycommission.co.uk/covid-recovery-commission-sets-out-blueprint-for-a-national-prosperity-plan-to-boost-growth-and-living-standards-over-the-next-decade/

  • 27/4/21
    The UK Government pledges £1.8 billion to keep schools in top condition. Funding rises by over 20% to £1.8 billion this year, so that schools can keep on top of their maintenance and repair.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/18-billion-to-keep-schools-in-top-condition

  • 27/4/21
    The UK Government has launched a Consultation on new 'Code of Practice for External Walls and Cladding Systems', and has commissioned the British Standards Institution to lead the Consultation, which ends on 20th May 2020.
    Click to view>>

  • 27/4/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CIC) has published a report: 'CDM 20-20 vision - changing the culture', which aims to facilitate a better understanding of the CDM Regulations. Despite the latest CDM Regulations coming into force in 2015, the CIC states that there is still a general lack of understanding about the workings and implementation of the Regulations. The report therefore comprises frequently asked questions and model case studies to illustrate how the regulations apply in different project environments. Prepared in partnerhip with KWPC Group and HSE.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-04-27-cdm-20-20-vision-changing-the-culture-report-launched

  • 26/4/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has reported that Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has commissioned Richard Bacon MP to undertake a review to establish a plan for a major scaling up of self-commissioned new homes, across all tenures, to boost capacity and overall housing supply.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-into-scaling-up-self-build-and-custom-housebuilding-terms-of-reference

  • 26/4/21
    The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) has reported that, according to a forecast published by the Construction Product Association (CPA), double-digit growth is expected for construction activity throughout 2021. It forecasts that construction output will increase by 12.9% in 2021 and 5.2% in 2022, with infrastructure output expected to increase by 29.3%, its highest level on record.
    https://www.acenet.co.uk/news/industry/construction-output-forecast-to-rise-by-13-cpa-says/


  • 26/4/21
    The Construction Innovation Hub, part of the CIC, has launched the pilot phase of its Value Toolkit. The toolkit is intended to help improve construction managers and building owners make better and more informed decisions at every stage of a building's project lifecycle. The pilot phase involves full trials on live projects led by Morgan Sindall, Mott MacDonald, Arup and Mace for six months.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-04-26-pilot-for-ground-breaking-value-toolkit-takes-off

  • 24/4/21
    The UK Government launches £150m fund to kickstart self build 'revolution'.  The new ‘Help to Build’ scheme is intended to help make it easier and more affordable for people to build their own homes.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/over-150-million-funding-to-kickstart-self-building-revolution

  • 23/4/21
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) five-year engineering forecast. The report predicts increases in engineering tender prices and infrastructure output in the forecast period.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/bcis-five-year-civil-engineering-forecast/

  • 22/4/21
    The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has published a new report: 'Job Quality in the Construction Sector,' in association on TASC, the Think Tank for Action on Social Change
    https://www.ciob.org/media-centre/news/construction-ireland-could-fall-short-meeting-demands-even-when-it-fully-opens



  • 22/4/21
    The UK Government (MHCLG) has announced a new approach to achieve consensus between building control bodies and Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) in relation to building works. Developed by a taskforce of the Joint Regulators Group.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-approach-for-achieving-consensus-between-building-control-bodies-and-fire-and-rescue-authorities-in-building-works

  • 22/4/21
    The UK Government (Home Office) has published an update on the implementation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, which ‘outlines the current position on areas in which we are working jointly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’. The Home Office has updated this document to include the thematic update for March 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quarterly-thematic-update-on-progress-against-the-grenfell-tower-inquiry-phase-1-recommendations

  • 22/4/21
    The Government Consultation on 'Non-domestic Private Rented Sector minimum energy efficiency standards: future trajectory to 2030' was finally concluded on 22nd April 2021. The Consultation sought views on the proposed targets for a minimum energy efficiency standard for privately rented non-domestic buildings in 2030.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/non-domestic-private-rented-sector-minimum-energy-efficiency-standards-future-trajectory-to-2030

  • 22/4/21
    Industry unites behind Vision for the Built Environment. A bold new Vision for the Built Environment is published today
    https://indd.adobe.com/view/f2092c85-cd16-4186-9035-e2a63adc2bf9(PDF)

  • 21/4/21 
    SI 2021/xx Carbon Budget Order 2021. This Order sets the carbon budget for the 2033-2037 budgetary period at 965 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Carbon budgets set a cap on the maximum level of the net UK carbon account for each five-year budgetary period. The net UK carbon account is defined in section 27 of the Climate Change Act 2008. The Regulation was laid before Parliament on 21st April 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2021/9780348222616

  • 20/4/21
    The British Standards Institution has launched its Public Consultation on its new Code of Practice for fire risk appraisal and assessment of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats. The Consultation runs from 20th April to 20th May 2021.
    https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/about-bsi/media-centre/press-releases/2021-press-releases/april/public-consultation-open-for-pas-9980/

  • 20/4/21
    Plans revealed for America's first 3D-printed neighbourhood.
    Two Los Angeles' companies, real estate firm Palari Group and construction technology company Mighty Buildings, have announced plans for a $15m development of 3D-printed net-zero-energy homes in Rancho Mirage, California.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/plans-revealed-for-america-s-first-3d-printed-neighbourhood.html

  • 21/4/21
    As part of the ongoing improvements to fire safety measures as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire, a review panel is now being set up by the UK Government and led by independent experts to review and evaluate the system for testing construction products in the UK.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/independent-experts-to-review-safety-of-construction-material

  • 20/4/21
    The Planning (Local Authority Housing Developments) Bill was introduced to Parliament on Tuesday 20 April 2021 under the Ten Minute Rule. The purpose of the BIll is to establish independent local planning processes to determine housing development planning applications submitted by local authorities  The Second Reading in the House of Commons is yet to be announced.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2853

  • 20/4/21
    The UK Government (BEIS) has launched a Consultation on the role of biomass in achieving UK’s net-zero target. The call for evidence is to seek evidence on how sustainable biomass should be sourced and can be used to help support the net-zero target. The Consultation runs until 20th June 2021.
    Click to view>>

  • 20/4/21
    The UK Government has announced that it is to legally bind the UK to reducing emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. The sixth Carbon Budget is to limit the volume of greenhouse gases emitted between 2033 and 2037 in line with the recommendation put forward by the Climate Change Committee.
    Click to view>>

  • 19/4/21
    The Infrastructure Forum has, in a newly published report titled ‘What does tomorrow look like?’, reasoned that new task forces could take over slow-moving infrastructure projects to accelerate progress and ensure that UK infrastructure is digitally transformed.
    https://www.acenet.co.uk/news/industry/use-vaccine-type-task-forces-to-build-back-better-say-industry-leaders/
     
  • 19/4/2021
    The UK Government (BEIS) has published information on various funding projects that are available to help businesses become greener. The total fund is worth almost £5bn, which is split between a number of different projects including the Heat Network Investment Project and the Floating Offshore Wind Demonstration Programme. The eligibility requirements differ between the different types of fund. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-funding-to-help-your-business-become-greener

  • 15/4/21
    SI 2021/ 467 Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Order 2021.
    This Regulation allows permission for certain classes of building development without the requirement for a planning application to be made under Part 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act. This Regulation was made on 14th April and came into force on 16th April 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/467/made

  • 15/4/21
    The review of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has started. In its submission to the roadmap, Eurovent calls on the European Commission to mainstream indoor environmental quality (IEQ) considerations into the Directive
    https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6780822614433665030/

  • 14/4/21
    Energy UK has published a report assessing the future possibilities and benefits of smart charging for Electric Vehicle (EV) owners. Smart charging is expected to play a large part in the roll out of EVs, in light of the government ending the sale of diesel and petrol-powered vehicles by 2030.
    https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/media-and-campaigns/press-releases/497-2021/7865-how-ev-charging-can-get-smart.html

  • 8/4/21
    Homes England has launched a competitive bid to seek strategic partners to help deliver affordable housing at scale through the government’s Affordable Homes Programme for 2021–2026, a multi-year grant agreement. Applications are open until 18th May 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/homes-england-launches-strategic-partnerships-bidding-for-2021-26-affordable-homes-grant-funding

  • 7/4/21
    In latest figures for energy efficiency of UK homes, the majority of new dwellings (84%) in England recorded an energy rating of either A or B in the past quarter, according to the UK Government. The figure was an increase on the 79% of homes that achieved the standard in the previous quarter.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/energy-efficiency-of-new-homes-in-england-improves.html

  • 1/4/21
    The UK Government has announced published Guidance for landlords on electrical safety in the private rented sector. Regulations, which come into force on 1st April, mandate all landlords to update their electrical installations in any rental properties to comply with the current regulations.
    Click to view>>

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has launched an industry wide people survey to understand the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the construction sector a year on. The CLC is requesting employers to complete the survey by 4 pm on 16 April 2021
    https://cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-03-31-construction-leadership-council-people-survey
    survey link
    https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90313331/CLC-People-Survey-April-2021

  • The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has released two volumes of guidance on the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), setting out the eligibility requirements and information regarding how applicants can gain accreditation, and the ongoing requirements for RHI participants, including details on periodical payments.
    Click to view>>

  • The RIBA’s Plan for Use guide has been announced. Similar to BSRIA's Soft Landings, it focuses on architects rather than building services engineers. RIBA says it is an essential companion to the Plan of Work 2020 for any architect seeking to close the performance gap between what is designed and what is built.
    https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/optimise-your-buildings-performance-with-the-new-plan-for-use

  • NEC launches training for facilities management contracts. In January, NEC Contracts released pre-publication versions of its latest suite of contracts covering facilities management. Produced with the support of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM).
    https://www.ice.org.uk/news-and-insight/latest-ice-news/nec-launches-training-for-facilities-management

  • 31/3/21
    SI 2021/ 431 The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021. The UK Government laid the Statutory Instrument before Parliament on 31st March 2021, which came into force on 1st April 2021. These Regulations amend the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/3118) (“the principal regulations”), which implemented Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings (recast) (OJ No L 153, 18 18.6.2010, p. 13). Regulation 2 amends the fees for entering data onto the register of energy performance certificates, display energy certificates and air conditioning inspection reports kept under regulation 27 (registration of certificates etc) of the principal regulations.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/439/introduction/made


  • ACT: Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021. The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 23rd February 2021 and received Royal Assent on 30th March 2021. This Act was created by the Scottish Parliament to make provision for regulating the supply of thermal energy by a heat network, and for regulating the construction and operation of a heat network; to make provision about the powers of persons holding a heat networks licence; to make provision about conferring rights in heat network assets where a person ceases operating a heat network; to set targets relating to the supply of thermal energy by heat networks; to make provision about plans relating to increased use of heat networks; and for connected purposes.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/9/introduction/enacted

  • The European Commission has launched an open public Consultation on revising the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) (EU) 2018/844. 
    The feedback gained from the Consultation will help with the Commission’s preparation of legislative proposals for revising the directive. The Commission stated that the issues raised in the consultation address how to attain a highly energy efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050 and primarily relate to ways in which building renovation can be increased. The Consultation will close on 22 June 2021.
    Click to view>>

  •  30/3/21
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published the findings of a pan-industry survey of around 1,000 firms. The findings explain that significant cost increases and new restrictions on professional indemnity (PI) insurance are preventing companies from embracing projects and create risks of building safety work being delayed.
    https://cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-03-30-professional-indemnity-insurance-restrictions-harming-industry
    survey link
    https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/PII-Survey-Charts-Compiled-Final.pdf


  • The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, and Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng, have written an open letter to businesses regarding the government’s Plan for Growth.
    It sets out the key areas of investment that the government will focus on in its attempt to rebuild from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
    Click to view>>

  • 29/3/21
    SI 2021/422 The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Amendment) Regulations 2021. This Regulation was made on the 29th March 2021 and will come into force on 4th May 2021. Regulation 2 corrects an error in Schedule A1 to the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/3032).
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/422/contents/made

  • The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced that the government intends to boost energy efficiency spending to £1.3bn with £300m extra funding for green home upgrades. The new funding is to be delivered through local authorities in England and aims to help lower income households cut emissions and save money on bills.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-boosts-energy-efficiency-spending-to-13-billion-with-extra-funding-for-green-homes

  • The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that following ‘cutting-edge’ flood forecasting and natural flood management schemes trialled in 25 areas, Defra intends to allocate a share of £150m to such projects over the next six years. This forms part of the government’s new Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme and will be managed by the Environment Agency to develop and test approaches to tackle threats.
     Click to view>>

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has endorsed the Common Assessment Standard (CAS), a new industry-wide pre-qualification system developed by Build UK. The goal of the CAS is to reduce the duplication of time, effort and resources and remove levels of bureaucracy. It means that members of the supply chains of those who have adopted the CAS only need to obtain one certification to tender for work with companies who have demonstrated that they meet an agreed industry standard.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/clc-endorses-the-common-assessment-standard/

  • Lexis Nexis (legal service) publishes its own analysis of the UK Government's decarbonisation strategy. 
    The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has published a new strategy outlining how industries can decarbonise in line with government targets.
    Click to view (PDF)>>

  • 27/3/21
    The UK Government boosts its energy efficiency spending to £1.3 billion with extra funding for green homes. 
    There will be £300 million extra funding for green home upgrades to help lower income households cut emissions and save money on bills.
    Click to view>>

  • 26/3/31
    The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced that, as part of the changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) schemes, regulations amending the Domestic RHI scheme would come into force on 1 April 2021.
    Click to view>>


  •  25/3/21
    SI 2021/404 The Non-Domestic Rating (Designated Area) Regulations 2021.  This Regulation on non-domestic housing valuation was laid before Parliament on 25th March, with further timeline to be added.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/404/introduction/made

  •  The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched an inquiry considering the sustainability of the built environment. The coming decade will see a significant amount of construction, to meet the government’s 300,000 new homes a year target. The EAC will be examining the carbon footprint of construction and the sustainability of materials. The Climate Change Committee has previously suggested increasing the use of wood in construction and to create policies that minimise the whole life carbon impact of new buildings. The Committee is accepting submissions to its questions in the call for evidence until 16 May 2021.
    https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/153154/how-can-the-construction-industry-become-net-zero-ready/
    Call for Evidence:
    https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/440/sustainability-of-the-built-environment/

  • Historic England has published a new Heritage Counts report which found that retrofitting historic homes could save up to 84% in carbon emissions.
    The report claims that retrofitting historic buildings will help the UK government’s target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 more than demolishing them will, as demolition produces millions of tonnes of waste both through the process itself and through the new build that comes after.
    https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/greening-historic-homes/

  • 23/4/21
    The UK Government's Fire Safety Bill is currently in its final stages but has been sent back to the House of Lords for further consideration by the House of Commons who has rejected some of the House of Lords' comments.
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2730


  • SI 2021/ 370 The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021. This enactment is made in exercise of legislative powers under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 in connection with Brexit. This enactment amends one piece of UK secondary legislation in relation to energy performance of buildings. It comes into force on 1 April 2021. (Updated from draft on 24 March 2021.)
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/370/contents/made

  • The UK Government has published an update to the 'Summary of the Responses' to its Consultation on Carbon Emissions Tax. The original Consultation ran from 21 July 2020 to 11:45pm on 29 September 2020 and its published summary was updated on 23rd March 2021.HM Revenue & Customs and HM Treasury published the summary of responses to the Consultation.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/carbon-emissions-tax

  • SI 2021/346: Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Temporary Modification) Regulations 2021. 
    Provisions are made to modify references to the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance (CHPQA) Standard in the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 2018 in England, Scotland and Wales. This Statutory Instrument (SI) details the Regulations that come into force on the same day as the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance (Temporary Modifications) Regulations 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/346/made

  • The CLC has published its strategy for 2021. It sets out CLC's strategic priorities for 2021, which are: supporting the industry to address its immediate challenges—for example coronavirus (COVID-19) and Brexit—convening and allowing the industry to communicate with one voice, and creating a world class construction industry. The strategy also outlines one year and three year plans in relation to its priority themes, with a focus on Building Safety and the Race to Net Zero Carbon.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CLC-Strategy-2021-Final.pdf


  • The UK Government has announced a new £20m scheme which aims to create a net zero industrial zone in South Wales by 2040. Industry in the South Wales cluster currently produces around nine million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, making up 12% of the UK industry’s total. Funding aims to create a sustainable plan for the region through production and distribution of hydrogen power, cleaner energy production and large industry decarbonisation primarily through fuel switching and production of cleaner transportation fuels.
    Click here to view>>

  • 22/3/21
    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published findings from its quarterly Building Cost Information Service Online Private Housing Construction Price Index survey. The survey found that housebuilders' costs rose 1.3% in Q4 2020 compared to Q3 2020 and by 2.7% compared to Q4 2019. Furthermore, housing construction output increased by 6.7% in Q4 2020 compared to Q3 2020 but remained down by 5.1% on the annual basis. Respondents perceived the biggest challenges in 2021 to be labour and material availability, changes to the Stamp Duty and Help to Buy scheme and increases in the prices of materials.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/private-housebuilders-costs-continue-to-increase/

  • 19/3/21
    Open Consultation: The UK Government's Consultation: 'Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive: ensuring a stable scheme' was updated on 19th March 2021.  The Consultation runs from 26th February to 7 May 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-ensuring-a-stable-scheme

  • UK Government: The Fire Safety Bill was updated on 19th March 2021 as it moves to the final stages for 'Consideration of Lords amendments' before Royal Assent
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2730/stages/12825

  • The Scottish Government has published a report of the Ministerial Working Group on Mortgage Lending and Cladding. The Scottish Government has accepted all recommendations in the report, and announced that homeowners who have external cladding on their flats will be offered free safety assessments to help identify material that needs to be removed. It also announced plans to launch a Single Building Assessment programme, to help carry out safety assessments on a whole building rather than individual flats.
    https://www.gov.scot/news/tackling-cladding-issues/

  • The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched a new construction training programme: ‘Certificate in International Construction Management’.
    https://www.ciob.org/media-centre/news/international-construction-management-certification-launched-ciob


  • 18/3/21
    SI 2021/360 (W. 109) The Town and Country Planning (Strategic Development Plan) (Wales) Regulations 2021This Regulation was made on the 18th March 2021 and will come into force on 28th February 2022. The These Regulations make provision for the preparation and revision of an SDP (strategic development plan) and associated matters.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2021/360/contents/made
     
  • HS2 has announced that the first of 112,000 walls segments for the Chiltern tunnel were produced and the project’s first two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) (named Florence and Cecilia) will launch in early summer 2021
    https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/hs2-casts-first-of-112-000-chiltern-tunnel-wall-segments-ahead-of-tbm-launch

  • The Court of Justice held that the UK had breached EU air quality standard. The UK had failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 13(1) and of Annex XI of the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive (Air Quality Directive) by ‘systematically and persistently’ exceeding the annual limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 16 different zones of the UK.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56282064

  • RICS BCIS has published its forecasts for the FM sector.  Generally the sector was hit by the economic downturn brought about by the Covid-19 lockdowns but has increasingly come to terms with the new working environment. The various parts of the industry are expected recover with the UK economy later in 2021.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/bcis-forecasts-for-the-fm-sector3/

  • The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has commissioned Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd and PFA Research Ltd to deliver a study on the energy efficiency retrofit market in the UK. The aim of the study is to understand the make-up of this broad and varied market, and how it can help with the UK’s ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/survey-beis-study-on-the-energy-efficiency-optimisation-and-retrofit-market-servicing-non-domestic-buildings.html

  • 17/3/21
    The UK Government has launched an open Consultation: 'Non-domestic Private Rented Sector minimum energy efficiency standards: EPC B implementation'. This Consultation, which runs from 17th March until 9th June 2021, seeks views on the Government's proposed framework to improve implementation and enforcement of the EPC (energy performance certificate) B target by 2030 for privately rented non-domestic buildings.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/non-domestic-private-rented-sector-minimum-energy-efficiency-standards-epc-b-implementation

  • The UK Government has launched an open Consultation: 'Introducing a performance-based policy framework in large commercial and industrial buildings'. This Consultation, which runs from 17th March until 9th June 2021, seeks views on the Government's proposal to introduce a national performance-based policy framework for rating the energy and carbon performance of large commercial and industrial buildings.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introducing-a-performance-based-policy-framework-in-large-commercial-and-industrial-buildings

  • Quality of Life Foundation has launched a framework that hopes to address the changes that the development industry can make to ensure that homes are created to provide a better quality of life for everyone.
    https://www.qolf.org/a-framework-focused-on-improving-quality-of-life/


  • The final report of the Government Consultation: 'Future support for low carbon heat' was published on 17th March.  The Consultation started on 28th April, 2020.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-support-for-low-carbon-heat

  • The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has opened a consultation seeking views on the government’s proposals to introduce a national performance-based policy framework for rating the energy and carbon performance of large commercial and industrial buildings. The framework is to rate the energy and carbon performance of commercial and industrial buildings above 1,000m^2 in England and Wales, with annual ratings and mandatory disclosure as the first step. The consultation closes 11:45 pm on 9 June 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introducing-a-performance-based-policy-framework-in-large-commercial-and-industrial-buildings?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=bd00ab3f-1093-47e8-9b00-4afa5ff1338d&utm_content=immediately

  • The final report of the Government Consultation: 'Fire Safety' was updated on 17th March.  The final report of the Consultation was published on 7th July 2020.  .  The Home Office has published its response to the fire safety consultation which ran from July to October 2020. The consultation sought views on proposals to strengthen the Fire Safety Order, implement Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations and strengthen the regulatory framework for how building control bodies consult with Fire and Rescue Authorities. The response sets out the next steps that the government plans to take, including its intention to legislate through the Building Safety Bill and Fire Safety Bill, deliver new regulations through Article 24 Fire Safety Order and introduce changes to the way building control bodies and fire rescue services interact.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-safety

  • The Centre of Digital Built Britain (CDBB)  announces that more than 2,000 public sector representatives and funders from around 100 countries across the world joined together on 17th March to launch a new Global BIM Network for the public sector.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/press-release-heralding-new-global-bim-network-and-public-sector

  • The UK Government published its industrial decarbonisation strategy, as a follow up to its ten-point Green Revolution plan announced last autumn.  The strategy will allocate more than £1 billion to cut emissions from industry, schools and hospitals. It also plans to create and support up to 80,000 jobs up to 2050 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-decarbonisation-strategy
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-blueprint-to-create-green-jobs-and-slash-emissions-from-industry-schools-and-hospitals

  • The UK Government announces unlimited fines for those who breach building fire safety regulations. £16 million is award to fire and rescue authorities to boost fire safety.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/unlimited-fines-for-those-who-breach-fire-safety-regulations

  • 16/3/21
    The Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) has produced a blog: 'The Pathway towards an Information Management Framework (BIM) Summary of Consultation Responses'.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/blog-pathway-towards-information-management-framework-summary-consultation-responses
     
  • The Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) plan to retrofit the nation’s housing stock over 20 years has been well received by the construction and infrastructure industries. The CLC’s National Retrofit Strategy calls upon the government to invest at least £5.3bn over the next four years to kickstart the retrofit market and retrofit the nation’s 28 million homes.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-sector-backs-clc-national-retrofit-strategy/

  • 15/3/21
    The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched a consultation on proposals to change the latest Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) approach, which is used to assess compliance with building regulations and Energy Performance Certificates. BEIS hopes to improve the approach of the latest SAP, SAP10, for assessing homes connected to heat networks using recovered heat or Combined Heat and Power. The consultation is aiming to receive responses from a number of key stakeholders, including heat network and property developers and builders, heat network owners and operators, and property owners and occupiers, and will run for eight weeks closing at midday, 10 May 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/standard-assessment-procedure-sap-102-proposals-for-updates-for-heat-networks

  • The Construction Innovation Training Board (CITB) has announced the findings of its report: 'Building Skills for Net Zero'.
    In order to ensure the UK Government’s commitment to achieving Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is on track, the CITB advises that the construction industry will require the equivalent of 350,000 new roles to be created by 2028. These will need to be found through a mix of new skilled jobs, increased efficiencies in existing roles, and innovation in how the industry decarbonises the built environment.
    https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/news-events-and-blogs/uk/2021/03/net-zero-350000-new-construction-roles-by-2028/

  • The Chartered Institute of Housing has introduced set of professional standards setting out the knowledge, skills and behaviour for use by housing professionals.
    https://cih.org/news/cih-sets-the-standards-for-professionalism-across-housing

  • The Centre of Digital Built Britain (CDBB) is urging local councils across Britain to take advantage of a new 'BIM Early Steps Roadmap', which will help local councils to make the switch towards a data-led approach to the management of buildings and estates.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/press-release-LA-Roadmap

  • The UK Government (The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee) has launched an inquiry into the Government’s plan to make all new homes ‘zero carbon ready’ by 2025, and how local government can help the UK reach its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
    https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1081/local-government-and-the-path-to-net-zero/

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published its response to the Transforming Public procurement Green Paper. The CLC welcomes the legal principles that are proposed in the green paper and agrees with consolidating the current regulations into a single framework.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/clc-responds-to-the-transforming-public-procurement-green-paper/
    Procurement Green Paper PDF
    http://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/943946/Transforming_public_procurement.pdf

  • 12/3/21
    The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has announced that its new 'Open Innovation Hub partnership' will support built environment innovation. The Hub will be based at its Watford campus, part-funded by a £2.2m Getting Building Fund investment from Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Due to open in spring 2022.
    https://www.bregroup.com/news/open-innovation-hub-partnership-will-support-built-environment-innovation/

  • The British Board of Agrément (BBA) and the Construction Products Association (CPA) have launched two consultations on new initiatives to increase clarity over building materials and products for architects, with a focus on those used in Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs).
    http://www.bbacerts.co.uk/getinvolved/
    https://buildingsafely.co.uk/consultation/

  • The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has responded to the construction output figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 12 March 2021, which indicate that construction output has grown by 0.9% in January 2021, after a fall of 2.9% in December 2020.
    https://www.ciob.org/media-centre/news/ciob-responds-construction-output-figures
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-output-grew-by-0-9-in-january-2021/


  • 11/3/21
    The Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) has announced that it’s contracts meeting the objectives of the UK Government’s Construction Playbook, set out in December 2020. Although the Construction Playbook has been designed for public sector projects and infrastructure, JCT also points out it can be used in the private sector and therefore use of JCT’s contracts guidance is applicable.
    https://corporate.jctltd.co.uk/jct-contracts-meeting-the-objectives-of-the-construction-playbook/

  • The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has announced plans to construct two new offshore wind ports on the Humber and on Teeside. The projects are expected to create 6,000 new jobs and have a combined cost of approximately £95m.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/second-wind-for-the-humber-teeside-and-uk-energy-industry?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=20b33467-be1c-4a23-89e3-0f3bdaa33f73&utm_content=immediately

  • 10/3/21
    RICS has announced research that indicates construction costs have risen on average by 4.5% over the past year in the small works sector, although there is variation between trades.
    Resource cost increases due to the higher cost of raw materials, and Covid-19 and Brexit related changes to the production process, have resulted in rates rising between 4.19% to 5.52% for contractors working on domestic extensions. Loft conversions have increased on average by 4.63% over the same period.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/costs-for-small-building-works-rise/

  • The final report of the Government Consultation: 'Draft Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Regulations 2021' was published on 17th March. The Consultation started on 30th April, 2020.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-support-for-low-carbon-heat

  • The final report of the Government Consultation: 'Energy-related products: call for evidence' was updated on 10th March. The Consultation published on 12th June, 2020.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-support-for-low-carbon-heat

  • 9/3/21
    The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on cladding an external wall system (EWS), following revisions to the EWS1 form – for construction building safety. The questions and answers explain what an EWS is, how and when to use an EWS1 form, and how the assessment process takes place.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/fire-safety/cladding-qa/

  • 8/3/21
    The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on the current state of UK infrastructure sources of investment in the sector (including buildings, building services, and roads etc.), and recent government policies.
    https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06594/

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published its response to the challenge of reaching Net Zero by 2050, as put forward by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Details how the Construction Leadership Council launched a new industry change programme: ConstructZero, a cross-industry approach to drive carbon out of all parts of the construction sector, from manufacturing and design to construction and operation of assets.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/clc-seeks-industry-support-to-drive-delivery-of-net-zero-in-the-built-environment/

  • The Construction Leadership Council is calling on businesses from across the industry to play their part in securing net zero carbon construction 2050. In this year of the UK hosting COP 26, it is imperative that the construction sector steps up to the challenge and supports the Race to Zero.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-03-08-clc-seeks-industry-support-to-drive-delivery-of-net-zero

  • 5/3/21
    Homes England has published a report detailing its research themes for its six-year, 1,800 home, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Research Commission. The study will monitor the construction of around 1,800 homes across the country over several years, viewing the performance of different types of MMC. It will aim to provide ‘long-term, in-depth and verifiable’ data to enable informed decisions about emerging construction technologies. The report provides further details about the project’s scope, its participants and the methods used to collect data. The study aims to help build consistency in measuring the impact of MMC across the sector.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/homes-englands-mmc-research-study-takes-shape

  • ACE has published an article considering the growth of the UK construction industry in February 2021. Data from the Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI), collated between 11 and 25 February 2021, has shown that UK construction companies have experienced a solid return to growth as the industry regains its position as the fastest growing major category of UK private sector output.
    https://www.acenet.co.uk/news/industry/uk-construction-enjoys-solid-return-to-growth-in-february/

  • 1/3/21
    SI 2021/212 'The Housing (Shared Ownership Leases) (Exclusion from Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and Rent Act 1977) (England) Regulations 2021'. This Regulation was put before Parliament on 4th March 2021 and is due to come into force on 1st April 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/212/introduction/made
  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published the first sector-wide skills plan for construction, developed by Industry.  The Industry Skills Plan for the UK Construction Sector 2021-25 sets out the key skills challenges facing construction and how they will be tackled.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-03-11-landmark-construction-skills-plan-backed-by-industry-and-government

  • 19th March 2021
    Open Consultation: The UK Government's Consultation: 'Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive: ensuring a stable scheme' was updated on 19th March 2021.  The Consultation runs from 26th February to 7 May 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/domestic-renewable-heat-incentive-ensuring-a-stable-scheme

  • 19th March 2021
    UK Government: The Fire Safety Bill was updated on 19th March 2021 as it moves to the final stages for 'Consideration of Lords amendments' before Royal Assent
    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2730/stages/12825

  •  19th March 2021
    The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched a new construction training programme: ‘Certificate in International Construction Management’.
    https://www.ciob.org/media-centre/news/international-construction-management-certification-launched-ciob

  • 18th March 2021
    HS2 has announced that the first of 112,000 walls segments for the Chiltern tunnel were produced and the project’s first two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) (named Florence and Cecilia) will launch in early summer 2021
    https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/hs2-casts-first-of-112-000-chiltern-tunnel-wall-segments-ahead-of-tbm-launch

  • 18th March 2021
    The Court of Justice held that the UK had breached EU air quality standard. The UK had failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 13(1) and of Annex XI of the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive (Air Quality Directive) by ‘systematically and persistently’ exceeding the annual limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 16 different zones of the UK.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56282064

  • 18th March 2021
    RICS BCIS has just published its forecasts for the FM sector.  Generally the sector was hit by the economic downturn brought about by the Covid-19 lockdowns but has increasingly come to terms with the new working environment. The various parts of the industry are expected recover with the UK economy later in 2021.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/bcis-forecasts-for-the-fm-sector3/


  • 18th March 2021
    The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has commissioned Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd and PFA Research Ltd to deliver a study on the energy efficiency retrofit market in the UK. The aim of the study is to understand the make-up of this broad and varied market, and how it can help with the UK’s ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  
    https://architecturaltechnology.com/resource/survey-beis-study-on-the-energy-efficiency-optimisation-and-retrofit-market-servicing-non-domestic-buildings.html

  • 17th March 2021
     Quality of Life Foundation has launched a framework that hopes to address the changes that the development industry can make to ensure that homes are created to provide a better quality of life for everyone.
    https://www.qolf.org/a-framework-focused-on-improving-quality-of-life/

  • 17th March 2021
    The final report of the Government Consultation: 'Future support for low carbon heat' was published on 17th March.  The Consultation started on 28th April, 2020.  
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-support-for-low-carbon-heat

  • 17th March 2021
    The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has opened a consultation seeking views on the government’s proposals to introduce a national performance-based policy framework for rating the energy and carbon performance of large commercial and industrial buildings. The framework is to rate the energy and carbon performance of commercial and industrial buildings above 1,000m^2 in England and Wales, with annual ratings and mandatory disclosure as the first step. The consultation closes 11:45 pm on 9 June 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introducing-a-performance-based-policy-framework-in-large-commercial-and-industrial-buildings?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=bd00ab3f-1093-47e8-9b00-4afa5ff1338d&utm_content=immediately

    17th March 2021
    The final report of the Government Consultation: 'Fire Safety' was updated on 17th March.  The final report of the Consultation was published on 7th July 2020.  .  The Home Office has published its response to the fire safety consultation which ran from July to October 2020. The consultation sought views on proposals to strengthen the Fire Safety Order, implement Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations and strengthen the regulatory framework for how building control bodies consult with Fire and Rescue Authorities. The response sets out the next steps that the government plans to take, including its intention to legislate through the Building Safety Bill and Fire Safety Bill, deliver new regulations through Article 24 Fire Safety Order and introduce changes to the way building control bodies and fire rescue services interact.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-safety
  • 17th March2021
    More than 2,000 public sector representatives and funders from around 100 countries across the world will join together today to launch a new Global BIM Network for the public sector.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/press-release-heralding-new-global-bim-network-and-public-sector

    17th March 2021
    The UK Government published its industrial decarbonisation strategy, as a follow up to its ten-point Green Revolution plan announced last autumn.  The strategy will allocate more than £1 billion to cut emissions from industry, schools and hospitals. It also plans to create and support up to 80,000 jobs up to 2050 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-decarbonisation-strategy
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-blueprint-to-create-green-jobs-and-slash-emissions-from-industry-schools-and-hospitals

  • 17th March 2021
    The UK Government announces unlimited fines for those who breach building fire safety regulations. £16 million is award to fire and rescue authorities to boost fire safety.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/unlimited-fines-for-those-who-breach-fire-safety-regulations

  • 17th March 2021. The Home Office (UK Government) has published its response to the Consultation on Fire Safety, which ran from July to October 2020.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-safety

  • 16th March 2021
    The Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) has produced a blog: 'The Pathway towards an Information Management Framework (BIM) Summary of Consultation Responses'.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/blog-pathway-towards-information-management-framework-summary-consultation-responses
     
  • 16th March 2021
    The Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) plan to retrofit the nation’s housing stock over 20 years has been well received by the construction and infrastructure industries. The CLC’s National Retrofit Strategy calls upon the government to invest at least £5.3bn over the next four years to kickstart the retrofit market and retrofit the nation’s 28 million homes.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-sector-backs-clc-national-retrofit-strategy/

  • 15h March 2021
    The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched a consultation on proposals to change the latest Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) approach, which is used to assess compliance with building regulations and Energy Performance Certificates. BEIS hopes to improve the approach of the latest SAP, SAP10, for assessing homes connected to heat networks using recovered heat or Combined Heat and Power. The consultation is aiming to receive responses from a number of key stakeholders, including heat network and property developers and builders, heat network owners and operators, and property owners and occupiers, and will run for eight weeks closing at midday, 10 May 2021.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/standard-assessment-procedure-sap-102-proposals-for-updates-for-heat-networks

  • 15th March 2021
    The Construction Innovation Training Board (CITB) has announced the findings of its report: 'Building Skills for Net Zero'.
    In order to ensure the UK government’s commitment to achieving Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is on track, the CITB advises that the construction industry will require the equivalent of 350,000 new roles to be created by 2028. These will need to be found through a mix of new skilled jobs, increased efficiencies in existing roles, and innovation in how the industry decarbonises the built environment.
    https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/news-events-and-blogs/uk/2021/03/net-zero-350000-new-construction-roles-by-2028/

  • 15th March 2021
    The Chartered Institute of Housing has introduced set of professional standards setting out the knowledge, skills and behaviour for use by housing professionals.
    https://cih.org/news/cih-sets-the-standards-for-professionalism-across-housing

  • 15th March 2021
    The Centre of Digital Built Britain (CDBB) is urging local councils across Britain to take advantage of a new 'BIM Early Steps Roadmap', which will help local councils to make the switch towards a data-led approach to the management of buildings and estates.
    https://www.cdbb.cam.ac.uk/news/press-release-LA-Roadmap

  • 15th March 2021
    The UK Government (The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee) has launched an inquiry into the Government’s plan to make all new homes ‘zero carbon ready’ by 2025, and how local government can help the UK reach its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
    https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1081/local-government-and-the-path-to-net-zero/

  • 15th March 2021
    The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced that in order for the UK government to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the construction industry will require 350,000 new roles to be created by 2028.\
    https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/news-events-and-blogs/uk/2021/03/net-zero-350000-new-construction-roles-by-2028/\

  • 15th March 2021
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published its response to the Transforming Public procurement Green Paper. The CLC welcomes the legal principles that are proposed in the green paper and agrees with consolidating the current regulations into a single framework.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/clc-responds-to-the-transforming-public-procurement-green-paper/
    Procurement Green Paper PDF
    http://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/943946/Transforming_public_procurement.pdf
  • 13th March 2021
    The Home Office has published its response to the fire safety consultation which ran from July to October 2020. The consultation sought views on proposals to strengthen the Fire Safety Order, implement Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations and strengthen the regulatory framework for how building control bodies consult with Fire and Rescue Authorities. The response sets out the next steps that the government plans to take, including its intention to legislate through the Building Safety Bill and Fire Safety Bill, deliver new regulations through Article 24 Fire Safety Order and introduce changes to the way building control bodies and fire rescue services interact.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-safety

  • 12th March 2021
    Open Innovation Hub partnership will support built environment innovation. BRE will create an Open Innovation Hub at our Watford campus, part-funded by a £2.2m Getting Building Fund investment from Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Due to open in spring 2022, the Innovation Hub will provide 30,000 sq. ft. of new commercial space to house innovative businesses specialising in the built environment
    https://www.bregroup.com/news/open-innovation-hub-partnership-will-support-built-environment-innovation/

  • 12th March 2021
    The British Board of Agrément (BBA) and the Construction Products Association (CPA) have launched two consultations on new initiatives to increase the clarity that architects have over materials and products, with a focus on those used in Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs).
    http://www.bbacerts.co.uk/getinvolved/
    https://buildingsafely.co.uk/consultation/

  • 12th March 2021
    The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has responded to the construction output figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 12 March 2021, which indicate that construction output has grown by 0.9% in January 2021, after a fall of 2.9% in December 2020.
    https://www.ciob.org/media-centre/news/ciob-responds-construction-output-figures
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/construction-output-grew-by-0-9-in-january-2021/

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published the first sector-wide skills plan for construction, developed by Industry. 

    The Industry Skills Plan for the UK Construction Sector 2021-25 sets out the key skills challenges facing construction and how they will be tackled.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-03-11-landmark-construction-skills-plan-backed-by-industry-and-government

  • 11th March 2021
    The Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) has announced that it’s contracts meeting the objectives of the UK Government’s Construction Playbook, set out in December 2020. Although the Construction Playbook has been designed for public sector projects and infrastructure, JCT  also points out it can be used in the private sector and therefore use of JCT’s contracts guidance is applicable.
    https://corporate.jctltd.co.uk/jct-contracts-meeting-the-objectives-of-the-construction-playbook/

  • 11th March 2021
    The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has announced plans to construct two new offshore wind ports on the Humber and on Teeside. The projects are expected to create 6,000 new jobs and have a combined cost of approximately £95m.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/second-wind-for-the-humber-teeside-and-uk-energy-industry?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=20b33467-be1c-4a23-89e3-0f3bdaa33f73&utm_content=immediately

  • 10th March RICS has announced research that indicates construction costs have risen on average by 4.5% over the past year in the small works sector, although there is variation between trades.
    Resource cost increases due to the higher cost of raw materials, and Covid-19 and Brexit related changes to the production process, have resulted in rates rising between 4.19% to 5.52% for contractors working on domestic extensions. Loft conversions have increased on average by 4.63% over the same period.
    https://www.rics.org/uk/products/data-products/insights/costs-for-small-building-works-rise/

  • 10th March 2021
    The final report of the Government Consultation: 'Draft Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Regulations 2021' was published on 17th March.  The Consultation started on 30th April, 2020.  
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-support-for-low-carbon-heat

  • 10th March 2021
    The final report of the Government Consultation: 'Energy-related products: call for evidence' was updated on 10th March.  The Consultation published on 12th June, 2020.  
    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/future-support-for-low-carbon-heat

  • 8th March 2021
    The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on cladding an external wall system (EWS), following revisions to the EWS1 form – for construction building safety. The questions and answers explain what an EWS is, how and when to use an EWS1 form, and how the assessment process takes place.    
    https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/latest-news/fire-safety/cladding-qa/

  • 8th March 2021
    The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on the current state of UK infrastructure sources of investment in the sector (including buildings, building services, and roads etc.), and recent government policies.
    https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06594/

  • 8th March 2021
    The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published its response to the challenge of reaching Net Zero by 2050, as put forward by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Details how the Construction Leadership Council launched a new industry change programme: ConstructZero, a cross-industry approach to drive carbon out of all parts of the construction sector, from manufacturing and design to construction and operation of assets.
    http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/clc-seeks-industry-support-to-drive-delivery-of-net-zero-in-the-built-environment/

  • 08 March 2021
    The Construction Leadership Council is calling on businesses from across the industry to play their part in securing net zero carbon construction 2050. In this year of the UK hosting COP 26, it is imperative that the construction sector steps up to the challenge and supports the Race to Zero.
    https://www.cic.org.uk/news/article.php?s=2021-03-08-clc-seeks-industry-support-to-drive-delivery-of-net-zero

  • 5th March 2021
    Homes England has published a report detailing its research themes for its six-year, 1,800 home, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Research Commission. The study will monitor the construction of around 1,800 homes across the country over several years, viewing the performance of different types of MMC. It will aim to provide ‘long-term, in-depth and verifiable’ data to enable informed decisions about emerging construction technologies. The report provides further details about the project’s scope, its participants and the methods used to collect data. The study aims to help build consistency in measuring the impact of MMC across the sector.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/homes-englands-mmc-research-study-takes-shape

  • 5th March 2021
    ACE has published an article considering the growth of the UK construction industry in February 2021. Data from the Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI), collated between 11 and 25 February 2021, has shown that UK construction companies have experienced a solid return to growth as the industry regains its position as the fastest growing major category of UK private sector output.
    https://www.acenet.co.uk/news/industry/uk-construction-enjoys-solid-return-to-growth-in-february/

  • 5th March 2021
    Homes England, the Government’s housing agency, has finalised its research themes for its six-year, 1,800 home Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Research Commission and has  published a report outlining the study.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/homes-englands-mmc-research-study-takes-shape

  • 1st March 2021
    SI 2021/212 'The Housing (Shared Ownership Leases) (Exclusion from Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and Rent Act 1977) (England) Regulations 2021'.  This Regulation was put before Parliament on 4th March 2021 and is due to come into force on 1st April 2021.
    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/212/introduction/made

  • Homes England has announced on 21st February 2021 that it is opening its strategic partnership model to ‘a broader range of partners’ for when the competitive bidding round for proposals to access Affordable Homes grant funding commences in March 2021. Read more here

    Homes England has announced, in collaboration with United Trust Bank, the launch of the Housing Accelerator fund—a £250m fund to support small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) builders with development finance to a maximum of 70% Loan to Gross Development Value. 16th February 2021. Read more here

  • The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a circular letter informing building control bodies about how to meet nearly zero energy buildings requirements for new buildings. The letter clarifies the implementation of the requirements for new buildings to meet regulation 25B of the Building Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2214, which sets out that all new buildings should be nearly zero energy buildings from 31 December 2020. 15th February 2021.  Read more here

  • The Office for National Statistics (UK Government) published statistics on12th February 2021, showing that the construction output in Great Britain for October 2020–December 2020 has fallen by 2.9% in December 2020, despite months of consecutive growth. Read more here

  • The UK Government (BEIS) has published updated guidance for stakeholders on 12th February 2021. Subjects covered in this guidance include whether UKNI  (United Kingdom / Northern Ireland) marking needs to be used, when to use UKNI marking and how to use UKNI marking. Read more here.

  • The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published its Future Trends survey for 2021 on 11th February 2021. The results showed that 25% of practices expected workload to decrease in the first three months of 2021 as a result of Brexit and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 28% expected an increase and 51% expected workload to remain steady. Read more here

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has welcomed the expansion of the Building Safety Fund, announced by Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick on 10 February 2021. The CLC stated: ‘It is vital that buildings are safe and that their occupants feel safe.’ 15th February 2021. Read more here

  • A new engineering services alliance called 'Actuate UK' has been announced. The UK engineering services sector is launching a major new industry alliance of eight organisations on 10th February 2021. The new alliance aims 'to be an agent for positive change and support the delivery of a safer, more productive and sustainable UK built environment'.  The key areas of focus for the alliance will be building safety, business recovery, industry skills and climate crisis and the Net Zero Target. Read more here

  • The UK Government announced on 10th February 2021, that it intends to 'to bring an end to unsafe cladding with multi-billion pound intervention.'  Amongst other things, the Government has announced it will pay for the removal of unsafe cladding for all leaseholders in high-rise buildings, providing reassurance and protecting them from costs.  Read more here.

  • The UK Government announced on 10th February 2021, its new Consultation: "The Future of the New Homes Bonus consultation." This consultation seeks views on the future of the bonus, from 2022/23 onwards. It covers a number of options for reforming the programme to provide an incentive which is more focused and targeted on ambitious housing delivery.The Cosultation runs from 10th February to 7 April 2021. Read more here

  • The Scottish Government has announced on 9th February 2021 that it plans to invest £33bn over the course of the next five years in healthcare, education, transport and the environment. The Scottish Government has published an Infrastructure Investment Plan and Capital Spending Review, which state that the investment will support 45,000 jobs and the construction of healthcare facilities, schools and local facilities across Scotland.  Read more here

  • The UK Government's Cabinet Office announced on 9th February 2021 that an independent review will be launched into construction frameworks as part of the Construction Playbook implementation. Read more here

  • The Construction Industry Council (CIC) launched an independent body on 9th February 2021 called 'The New Homes Quality Board (NHQB)', which will champion new home quality.  Read more here

  • The UK Government announced its first phase of its national school rebuilding programme, on 5th February 2021.  Thousands of pupils are set to benefit from new, modern, energy efficient school buildings as 50 schools are confirmed for the first wave. Read more here

  • The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published a discussion paper on 5th February 2021, in which it states that infrastructure developers should consider the impact of infrastructure development on natural capital assets, and should target ‘environmental net gain’ by leaving the environment in a better condition than they found it. Read more here

  • IHS Markit released its latest UK construction market figures on 4th February 2021.  IHS stated there was indication of a marginal decline in UK construction output from the January 2021 PMI data.  Read more here (PDF)

  • On 30 January 2021 the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government launched a Consultation on draft revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and a new draft National Model Design Code. The Consultation runs from 30th January until 27th March.  Read more here.  For details of UK Government's new building rules around 'beauty, quality and design', click here

  • The UK Government published a list of relevant horizontal test specifications on 28th January 2021, that are common across various product families which apply to construction products. The test standards will continue to be used by UK-approved bodies for assessments of construction products which are based on UK-designated standards. This list of horizontal specifications is subject to change based on ongoing review. Read more here

  • S SI 2021/47 The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Modification of the Repairing Standard) Amendment Regulations 2021
    These Regulations amend the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Modification of the Repairing Standard) Regulations 2019 by changing the date on which regulation 3(1)(b) comes into force from 1 February 2021 to 1 February 2022. Read more here

  • S SI 2021/46 The Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Amendment Order 2021
    This Order amends the date on which the requirement for the installation of fire and carbon monoxide detection and warning equipment is added to the tolerable standard for housing, changing it from 1 February 2021 to 1 February 2022. . Read more here

  • CIAT has announced on 28th January 2021 that it has been asked to hold a Consultation on the second version of BSI Flex 8670 and the result of BSi's Project Advisory Group. BSI's Flex Standards is part of a wider programme of work by the UK Government around competence in the built environment. Read more here

  • The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) published the findings of its survey of the architects’ profession on proposed changes to the Architects Act on 25th January 2021. Read more here

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published proposals on 25th January 2021 for a new Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) in its second Construction Product Information report. The CLC has also released details of a Consultation that is to be held on 1 February 2021 about the new Code proposals. Read more here

  • The Construction Products Association (CPA) has launched a Consultation on 25th January 2021 which proposes a new Code for Construction Product Information, in order to gather views on the Code before it is launched later in 2021. Read more here

  • The Construction Products Association (CPA) announced on 21st January 2021, that its latest Construction Industry Scenarios ‘sees a “W”-shaped economic recession and recovery as its main assumption, with construction output expected to rise 14% in 2021 and 4.9% in 2022’. Read more here

  • AECOM Ireland its published its annual construction report on 21st January 2021, which says that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a slump of 30% in Northern Irish construction output. Read more here

  • The UK Government announce the Consultation on the Future Building Standard on 21st January 2021.  This consultation is the second stage of a 2-part consultation on proposed changes to Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations. Read more here

  • CIBSE announces new its updated publication 'CP1: Heat networks: Code of Practice for the UK (2020)' on 20th January 2021. The guidance offers advice on the design, installation and performance monitoring of district heating systems. Read more here

  • The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has invited individuals to disclose evidence on Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies, designed to improve UK net zero strategy with an objection of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The request for evidence will close on 3 March 2021.Published on 20th January 2021. Read more here

  • The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has announced rigorous targets for the green building revolution. All homes and businesses will have to meet rigorous new energy efficiency standards to lower energy consumption and bills, helping to protect the environment. Read more here

  • The Council of European Construction Economists (CEEC ) has conducted its annual study of construction costs and find UK construction costs are among the most expensive in Europe when calculated in Euros. 19th January 2021. Read more here

  • The British Standards Institution (BSI) has launched a survey on its Standard' BS 700-4: 2013 Design Management Systems' on 19th January 2021.  Participation in the survey is invited. Read more here

  • The UK Government has announced a new regulator on 19th January 2021 to ensure homes are built with construction materials that are safe.  Read more here

  • The UK Government launched a Consultation on 19th January 2021 on its proposed changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations for non-domestic buildings and dwellings and overheating in new residential buildings. Read more here

  • The UK Government (MHCLG) has released its response and a summary of stakeholder responses to the Consultation on the Future Homes Standard on 19th January 2021. Read more here (PDF)

  • The UK Government (MHCLG) announced on 19th January 2021, that all homes and businesses will have to meet rigorous new energy efficiency standards to reduce energy consumption and bills.  Read more here

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has given its backing to a National Retrofit Strategy, which aims to make homes greener and more energy, and water, efficient, warmer and cheaper to run. 18th January 2021.  Read more here

  • The UK Government  (MHCLG)  announced  its Consultation into the reform of the Right to Contest, following a new Right to Regenerate proposal which allows the public to require councils and the public sector to sell unused land and assets so that they may convert derelict buildings and vacant plots of land into new homes or community spaces. Published 18th January 2021. Read more here

  • The UK BIM Alliance has launched a BIM survey calling on practitioners to participate. The survey will measure the 'understanding and adoption of information management using Building Information Modelling (BIM) across the UK built environment'. The survey will run from 15th January 2021 to 12 February 2021.  Read more here

  • The British Standards Institution (BSI) has launched a Second consultation on a new standard called ‘Built environment – Overarching framework for building safety competence of individuals – Specification’ on 15th January 2021.  The new standard seeks to raise the standards of competence across the built environment, reinforcing the progress of an overarching framework standard that applies to technical and non-technical roles. The Consultation runs from 15th January 2021 to  2nd February 2021. Read more here

  • The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) launched a new Guide for Construction Quality on 14th January 2021. The guide focuses on quality management of construction projects, particularly during the site production and assembly stages.  Read more here

  • The UK Government commented positively on the latest ONS construction statistics, released on 14th January 2021. The figures show that the number of new homes developers that have started to build has more than doubled, while the number of completed homes almost tripled, compared to the previous quarter. Read more here

  • The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has updated its New Homes Policy Playbook and interactive policy map to further facilitate the construction of greener new-build homes. 13th January 2021.  Read more here

  • The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published an analysis of the impact of Brexit on the UK construction industry. The report shows that, despite the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) not making any direct changes, it imposes ‘administrative burdens’ which will impact on the costs and smooth operation of the industry. Published 11th January 2021.  Read more here

  • The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has announced the launch of a ‘Certificate in Fire Safety for Construction’, on the 8th January 2021, which is due to begin on 17 February 2021. The course provides an overview of fire safety for beginners and follows the recommendations of the Hackitt Inquiry.  Read more here

  • The Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) has released guidance on speeding up flood recovery and property flood resilience on 8th January 2021. Read more here

  • The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched a Consultation on 8th January 2021 on proposed guidance on the valuation of multi-storey, multi-occupancy buildings with cladding. RICS plans to create consistent Guidance targeted at valuers carrying out mortgage valuations on residential properties with cladding. Read more here

  • The NEC has launched a new NEC4 Facilities Management Contract (FMC) and NEC4 Facilities Management Subcontract specifically for ‘procuring facilities management services', on  8th January 2021.  The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) has supported NEC with the production of the contracts in order to identify the best practice in the sector as well as to signify the way forward. Read more here

  • The Construction Industry Group (CIG) has released a statement on 7th January 2021, outlining the latest data, indicating that the UK construction business activity continues to expand since its recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19) began in June 2020. Read more here

  • The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published the seventh version of the ‘Site Operating Procedures’, reflecting the latest government guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19) in England. Read more here

  • The UK Government has updated its social sector guidance on  6th January 2021, relating to the remediation of non-ACM buildings  Read more here.

  • The Scottish Government has published a statement on January 6th 2020, relating to its aim of a low carbon future and the related principles and outcomes that should be adopted in order to achieve this. It is focused on working at community level to achieve a transition to greener policies and practices.  Read more here

  • Onward publishes its latest research report, 'Getting to zero' on 5th January 2021, which marks the launch of a major Government cross-party programme of research  to understand the political and practical challenges to achieving net zero by 2050, and to develop policies to help people and places who may be disrupted in the transition. Read more here

  • W SI 2021/7 The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 (Commencement No. 7) Order 2021. Article 2 brings the following provisions of the 2015 Act into force on 7 January 2021, so far as they are not already in force. Read more here

  • The RICS BCIS Private Housing Construction Price Index (PHCPI) indicated housebuilders costs rose 0.4% in 3Q2020 and by 2.3% when compared to the same quarter a year earlier. 5th January 2021. Read more here

  • The UK Government announced £8m in government funding on 4th January 2021, for six projects across the UK that have won the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge competition. The investment forms part of the government's move to establish the world’s first net-zero emissions industrial zone by 2040. Read more here

  • The second reading of the 'Net Zero Carbon Emissions (Audit) Bill 2019-21' (10th February, 2020), has been announced and will take place on 12th March 2021.  This is a Bill that will make provision for an independent audit of the costs and benefits of meeting the requirement under the Climate Change Act 2008 for net United Kingdom carbon emissions to be zero by 2050. Read more here

  • The second reading of the 'New Homes (New Development Standards) Bill 2019-21' (30th June 2020), has been announced and will take place on 26th March 2021.  This is a Bill that will require residential developers to meet minimum standards of provision for insulation, broadband connectivity and electric car charging points in new homes; and for connected purposes. Read more here

  • The UK Government has updated several of its guidance web pages supporting Brexit, as of 1st January 2021.  Read further details on BSRIA's Brexit page

  • Field Fisher has published its commercial analysis of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and what it means for supply chains on 29th December 2021. Read more here

  • The Mayor of London (UK) has called for a levy on major private property developers on 27th December 2020, to be introduced to raise £3bn to address inequality in building safety standards and to fund cladding replacement work across London. Read more here

  • European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020.  The official Act, formalising the trade agreement and future relationship between the EU and the UK was passed on December 31st, 2020.  Read more here\

  • The UK Government announced an open Consultation: 'Green Paper: Transforming public procurement,on 15th December 2020. The proposals in this Green Paper are intended to shape the future of public procurement in the UK, going forwards.  The Consultation runs from 15th December 2020 to 11th March 2021. Read more here.

  • The UK Government launches the Construction Playbook on 8th December 2020, which sets out key policies and guidance for how public works projects and programmes are assessed, procured and delivered. Read more here.
  • A statement from the Construction Industry Council (CIC) was released on 25th November warning the UK Government to improve on the level of detail within the draft Fire Safety Bill, if it is to demonstrate that its new building safety proposals will drive much needed reform in the sector. The Bill sets out framework to implement a new building safety regime and remedy the imperfections in the existing system, as identified in the Hackitt review. Read more here.