Dean Fazackerley, Head of Technical Procurement at the LHC Group responds on behalf of the not-for-profit public sector construction framework provider in response to the government’s Net Zero Review.
Modern methods of construction (MMC) are a top priority for the UK Government, as they seek to address the housing crisis by building new homes quickly and efficiently. MMC involved the creation of building components in a factory, which are then transported to the construction site and assembled, offering several advantages over the traditional on-site building methods.
When moisture laden air comes into contact with a cold surface, condensation occurs. When there is condensation on a cold surface for an extended period, it results in mold. In most cases, this happens in kitchens or bathrooms and on external walls in other parts of a home if there are little or no insulation, i.e. cold surfaces.
Garland UK has published its first benchmarking report on the commercial roofing industry in collaboration with some of the UK’s leading experts. The report reveals the main challenges commercial landlords and estates teams face with their roofing assets and shares expert advice, strategies and considerations to overcome them.
All public sector organisations who applied for the social housing decarbonisation scheme will find out if they have been awarded the grant between the end of February and the start of March 2023. The gov.uk website states that grant funding agreements must be signed with successful lead applicants and projects starting in March.
Building compliance is being highlighted more than ever as a consequence of fire doorset legislation amendments. This legislation is purposed to ensure the safety of individuals both in and around the building, following guidance from the Grenfell fire. As of 23rd January 2023, it will be a legal requirement to ensure all appropriate steps are taken to reduce the risk of fire. Upon failure to comply to the legislation, the responsible persons will be penalised both legally and financially. This amendment will ensure the correct individual is held accountable for failing to ensure fire safety in the infrastructure. The legislation in Approved Document B covers social buildings, and those over 11m in height.
Faced with a predicted 38% drop in new housing starts over the next two years. Public sector frameworks offer shelter from recession. They traditionally operate on four-year cycles, and present better industry access and cost consistency for the public sector. Furthermore for contractors and suppliers, they bring more predictable pipelines of work.
Dean Fazackerley, gives an overview of why public sector organisations must approach homes construction procurement and project management together to comply with updated Building Regulations Part L.
Almost a year since the release of ‘Constructing the Gold Standard’ – the independent review of public sector construction frameworks – has the sector got better at collaborative procurement? Framework provider LHC’s head of technical procurement Dean Fazackerley assesses progress.
As a not-for-profit public sector construction framework provider with regional business hubs, LHC sees many low carbon, built environment projects in action at a local level. The outcomes of these projects are bringing significant benefits for local authorities and social housing providers in procuring low energy, built environment solutions such as modern methods of construction (MMC) new builds and energy efficiency retrofit.
