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.
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) was launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and offers £1 billion of grant funding to public sector bodies for capital energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects. The purpose of this programme is to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and install low carbon heating measures in line with the Government’s target of reaching Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050.
Fire doors are an essential aspect of fire safety for any property. They’re designed to stop the spread of fire and smoke in a building for long periods. This ensures escape routes are protected so people can evacuate a building safely and provides more time for firefighters to extinguish a fire.
Windows and doors play a big part in the look of a building, and due to their continuous use, they need to be fit for purpose. It is therefore essential to consider the quality of material used to produce these windows and doors because this will impact how long they can last and reduce the amount of upkeep required.
The climate and biodiversity crises combined with the cost-of-living increase and its impact on fuel poverty has highlighted the importance behind the need to retrofit our existing buildings. The second wave of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund opening will enable some of this work to get started and offers great flexibility to upgrade your housing stock to achieve EPC ‘C’, as part of the journey towards Net Zero by 2050.
Since the start of the pandemic, material prices in construction have risen sharply, and now, factors such as the war in Ukraine and inflation have only exasperated things.
Timber, steel, concrete, and tiles for roofing have seen the biggest increases. However, other materials have seen significant increases, too, such as plastics, quarry, and other metals such as aluminium, lead, cast iron, and copper.
Fire doors are an integral part of a building's passive fire system. They're designed to compartmentalise a building to prevent smoke and fire to stop it from spreading at speed.
The ‘Accountable Person’ is responsible for maintaining fire doors and ensuring they’re regularly inspected. This article will explain how often fire doors should be inspected and the process you should follow to meet UK regulations.
Modern methods of construction (MMC) are increasingly viewed as a way to deal with the UK’s housing problems, thanks to increased production speed and the quality of the final product. LHC interim Managing Director, Elaine Elkington investigates how this approach also supports the Government’s levelling up agenda.
Five months on from Professor David Mosey’s ‘Constructing the Gold Standard’ report, I meet Claire Bailey-Jones, head of business development from Novus Property Solutions – a supplier with which LHC Group has a longstanding working relationship – to discuss the key lessons the sector can learn to make tangible, practical differences.
