Blogs

‘Constructing the Gold Standard’ is the result of many discussions with clients, suppliers, advisers and procurement specialists like LHC. Commissioned by the Cabinet Office, the report’s 24 recommendations build upon earlier guidance in the Construction Playbook. LHC was pleased to be involved in this review process and welcomes the recommendations outlined in the report.

There’s no doubt that the industry is recovering from the minor downturn it suffered during the pandemic, but now it faces a different challenge: shortages. The latest Federation of Master Builders state of trade survey shows that 60% of builders have paused projects because they can’t find the skilled tradespeople they need.

Last week, on the 3^rd of December, it was Fuel Poverty Awareness Day. The statistics behind the day are shocking to say the least.

As we are all aware social value is a wide-ranging topic which has become more prevalent in the public sector since the inception of the Social Value Act (2012). The squeeze on public sector budgets has exacerbated the need for social value to help generate the desired value for money outcomes.

With the many challenges and pressures facing the housing market today – and in particular those faced by the social housing sector – it’s time for providers to start exploring new solutions.

Take up of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is slower for the social sector than amongst private companies, but mounting and almost overwhelming issues demand that all possible avenues are investigated.

Look, I get it. There are lots of reasons not to start engaging with modern methods of construction.

Too risky. Too expensive. Too many unknowns. Too much else to do. Especially if you’re a smaller housing provider. And all the while, boards are starting to apply the MMC pressure.

But what if I told you there was an easy way to overcome all these concerns, with a positive impact on the local job market and economy? Would you consider it?

Four million of the North’s homes need to be upgraded to reach an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) level C. That’s a huge target in itself, but when you factor in the Government's Clean Growth Strategy deadline of 2035 for this to happen, that means 270,000 homes need to be retrofitted every year until then.

I have been privileged to be one of only three people in the last 55 years to hold the post of LHC Director.

When LHC was first founded in 1966 (or London Housing Consortium as it was then known), the aim was to bring together the Chief Architects of 13 London Boroughs to coordinate technical and social standards for the booming council house building programme. This was the time we last built 300,000 new homes in Great Britain.

Paul Dawson, group technical manager at LHC, looks at the runaway demand for the latest Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund grants and explains why public-sector led programmes to transform the energy performance of our buildings are the quickest route on the road to net zero.

The first Covid-19 lockdown marked a sudden and radical change for public sector housing and construction procurement. Fast forward to lockdown number three and it appears that the changes of the last year could be beneficial for new MMC contracts in the public sector.