Blogs

At LSE, we have a diverse and talented team with skills in different areas to fulfil all our obligations of providing remarkable frameworks and a fantastic service. To start the year, we wanted to introduce one of our team members Paul Smith our Regional Procurement Manager, and how his role adds value to our service by sharing a project he has taken part in.

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 23^rd 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.

As the year 2022 comes to an end, I want to share some of the great things that the LHC London and South East team have accomplished, and we also look to 2023 with the ambition to achieve even more extraordinary things by improving lives and places through the impact of our services to the community. Join us on this journey of reflection and I look forward to sharing even more exciting news with you in the new year as we continue to grow with ambition for a greater reach. Have a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  

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. 

In the midst of a climate and cost of living crisis, the potential to infill existing sites with new homes and increase density without displacing communities or destroying buildings is an attractive prospect. This type of development is a powerful tool for good but comes with a burden of responsibility. It is not simply enough to ‘first do no harm’, truly outstanding infill development should act as a catalyst for change.  It should offer more back to existing communities than that which it takes away.  And above all else, it must not crystalize the mistakes of the past.  

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. 

The UK is currently suffering from an unprecedented increase in energy prices and has an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions to save our planet. Therefore, the government's Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is crucial for us to make a difference in how we live for economic and global reasons.

The government has granted 3.8bn over ten years to help create energy-efficient homes. Wave 1 in 2021 provided landlords with the first opportunity to receive funds to proceed with this. Social housing landlords now have the chance to apply for wave 2.1 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

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.

With the government committed to reaching ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and more than two thirds of councils declaring a climate emergency, local authorities are facing a challenge – how to meet climate change targets whilst delivering urgently needed affordable homes for their residents.