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Decarbonising Transport
Climate change is the most pressing environmental challenge of our time. The scientific evidence suggests that we need to take action now, and the UK Government is making this a priority. In June 2019 the UK became the first major global economy to pass a law that requires the country to achieve 'net zero' greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.
Steady fall in number of firms reporting decreased turnover, compared to same time last year
New report espouses post Covid-19 ‘lessons learned’ review to avoid drifting back to ‘business as usual’, Atkins Global: two-thirds of infrastructure businesses believe workloads won’t return to pre-Covid levels until Q4 2021, CLC launches new taskforce to advise the construction industry on how to prepare for a post-Brexit world, lumber prices hit record high amid surging demand for home improvement and renovation projects plus more news and analysis from across the industry
Draft Building Safety Bill for England
Described by the Housing Secretary as, “the biggest change to our building safety regime for 40 years”, the Government is planning to introduce fundamental changes to the building control regime to improve building and fire safety in higher-risk buildings so that people will be safer in their homes.
G&T Launches Mass Timber Forum for Commercial Offices
Hosted by partner Matt Holman, these forums focus on hot topics such as Insurance, Fire and Sustainability. G&T partner and timber expert Oliver Booth has assembled panels of leading experts in their respective disciplines to help share knowledge and information that can be referred to when considering mass timber for commercial office projects.
UK construction PMI beats expectations in July with a steep increase in activity and output
ONS new order data for Q2 shows that private sector demand was hit the hardest in the quarter, ‘Planning for the Future’ – Government white paper published putting forward vision to radically overhaul England’s planning system, Leo Quinn: “We will not take contracts at any price... We are not interested in volume”, Derwent changes office development model to meet changing work patterns and employee needs plus more news and analysis from around the construction industry.
Industry calls for clarity on border arrangements and changes to worker permits
ONS: Construction firms report that the proportion of furloughed workers continues to fall, CLC letter to Government requests for clarity on border arrangements and changes to worker permits , 59% of construction firms note lower turnover according to ONS survey, RIBA and others voice concerns over the deregulation of the planning process, Wates switches focus to public sector and affordable housing work in the wake of the pandemic.
Fibre Optic Market
The importance of connectivity has never been more apparent than it is right now. With the UK lagging behind many of its more digitally evolved competitors, Government priority is now focusing on getting fast, secure and resilient broadband across the whole country as soon as possible – aiming to bring “gigabit-capable broadband” nationwide by 2025.
Future Health of Buildings
COVID-19 has created two new requirements for buildings: 1. owners and occupiers need to provide an objectively safe indoor environment and 2. they must communicate trust and a sense of welcome to those coming through the doors. While both are critical, they do not necessarily align.
‘Build, Build, Build’: UK Government announces plans to help construction’s recovery
Cashflow continues to be a pressing issue as nearly 40% of firms said current reserves would last less than three months, June construction PMI data points to sharp turnaround as more sites reopened and the supply chain kicked into gear, Kier likely to tap equity markets to bolster its balance sheet after Covid-19 takes its toll on revenues, TfL issues briefing note to construction firms on how to safely use the capital’s public network
Market Update - June 2020
Our June Market Update includes insights from our latest contractor survey, which found that productivity levels on site in England and Wales are generally averaging around at 70-90% of pre-COVID levels.
Government publishes forward-looking pipeline of planned procurements for the 2020/21 financial year
40% drop in construction output in April as all sub-sectors experiencing month-on-month falls, G&T contractor survey reveals that rebalancing labour density on site whilst trying to maintain productivity is proving challenging, construction vacancies fall 54.3% but are still higher than financial crisis lows, Laing O’Rourke: projects on track to return to full productivity by the end of July thanks to direct-delivery operating model and MMC