Local Authority Building & Maintenance December 19

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DECEMBER 2019

LOCAL AUTHORITY BUILDING & MAINTENANCE

HEATING & PLUMBING KITCHENS & BATHROOMS ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION

SPECIAL REPORTS LABM finds out how today’s technology can be used to deliver the homes of tomorrow.

LABM looks at PAS 2035 — a new standard that aims to guide all future retrofit work.

THE LEADING MAGAZINE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITY AND HOUSING ASSOCIATION SPECIFIERS, INCORPORATING

CONTENTS REGULARS 3 COMMENT A Place to Call Home

December 2019 Vol.35 No.10

A round-up of the latest local authority and housing association projects, contract awards and developments

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6 NEWS ITRC sustainable infrastructure research — impact on rising private rents — Building Safety in Housing Conference 2020 8 Contract Update LiveWest raises £250m to build new homes — Sempra to build 1,000 new houes — Birmingham Modular project SPECIAL REPORTS 10 Setting new Standards PAS 2035 and the retrofit standards framework 12 Procurement – A time for Change Building stronger relationships and delivering greater value 16 Critical Data How technology can help the social housing crisis 14 Industry Comment Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) 18 Legal Update Court of Appeal makes it harder to vary planning permissions says Winckworth Sherwood 49 Reference Library 51 Guest Comment Alan Long, Executive Director at Mears Group

HEATING & PLUMBING 19 Looking Long-term Off-grid Heating solutions for homes in rural areas 22 Heat Source Derby Homes specifies ASHPs for off-gas flats

37 Putting Lighting into Practice The importance of good lighting in accessible bathrooms 40 Round-up

ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION

24 Fit for Purpose Addressing concerns surrounding contamination of drinking water supplies

41 Let There be Light How rooflights can help councils achieve their sustainability goals

26 Pooling the Savings with CHP Why councils are turning to CHP as an economic tool to drive energy efficiency improvements in leisure centres

44 Vapour Control Advice on specifying roofing membranes, factoring in moisture and vapour management

29 Changes on the Horizon SAP 10 and the proposed changes to Approved Document L

46 Working at Height Recognising the risks associated with working at height

31 Round-up

48 Round-up

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS 32 Creating Attractive Kitchen Spaces Why HAs do not have to compromise on quality when looking for long-lasting kitchen solutions

Driving innovation in procurement

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34 Showering Solutions Top tips on getting it right first time with shower facilities

Risk assessments for Working at Height

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

Editor Claire Clutten labm@hamerville.co.uk Contributing Editor Bernadette Noble Advertisement Manager Jacob Tatum jtatum@hamerville.co.uk Northern & Midland Area Sales Eddie Wright ewright@hamerville.co.uk Group Advertising Manager Craig Jowsey Digital Group Manager Stuart Duff Digital Assistant David Molloy Design Adeel Qadri Group Production Manager Carol Padgett Circulation Manager Kirstie Day Managing Editor Terry Smith Publisher Bryan Shannon Printed by WALSTEAD ROCHE Published by Hamerville Media Group Regal House, Regal Way, Watford, Herts WD24 4YF 01923 237799 Email: labm@hamerville.co.uk

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A place to call home Winter is upon us and many families are feeling the bite, which is one of the reasons why we need more social housing.

Many of you may have seen the heartbreaking story on Sky News in November about the child who wrote a letter to Santa asking for a home and food for Christmas. The letter was placed in a Christmas post box in a community centre in Liverpool. The local Labour Councillor Gerard Woodhouse said: “I opened the post box and saw the letter there. It was so upsetting to read.” He continued by saying: “A few weeks ago we were sitting down with a few of the kids from the centre. One child said, 'I just want to be warm this Christmas'. These kids know their parents have not got the money this year for presents. We are seeing first-hand how difficult it is, and it is just so upsetting."

This is incredibly bleak, but unfortunately a reality for an increasing number of families across the UK. At the time of writing, a General Election is upon us and all the political parties are canvassing support, trying to entice the electorate to vote for their candidates promising change and maintaining that their party is the only one that can deliver what the country needs, respectively. The sad fact is as the Brexit situation rumbles on and with the election dominating headlines, important issues and services are getting overlooked, and more people are falling into bad situations.

Homelessness is on the rise and in cities across the UK is increasingly evident. In November a number of homeless people died when the temperatures dipped to freezing and below. Surely issues such as homelessness and the growing numbers of families languishing in poverty should be a national priority. We need more services to help get homeless people off the streets and into a home, as well as to help deal with any mental health issues they may have.

Social housing provides an essential lifeline for those who need it and greater tenure diversity is important to help tackle the housing crisis, as it’s a multi-faceted problem. We need more genuinely affordable options across the board — from private sale, private rent and shared ownership to

The role of social housing “providers has evolved significantly over the last few decades. ” affordable rent and social rent. Mixed-tenure schemes help to create balanced communities.

Councils and housing associations across the UK are working hard to cater to the needs of their local communities, some against a backdrop of financial insecurity. The role of social housing providers has evolved significantly over the last few decades. It encompasses so much more than providing a roof over people’s heads, which is still as vital a role today as it ever was.

A growing number of councils and housing associations are working in partnership with the NHS to support their more vulnerable customers. In partnership with their supply chain they are building more community facilities, as well as making apprenticeship and job opportunities a prerequisite on projects. They are also helping to drive economic growth in their areas, creating thriving environments where people and places can flourish.

A major campaign for the National Housing Federation (NHF) this year has centred around ‘placemaking’ and social housing providers are driving the agenda, with social purpose at its core. The two main parties are both pledging to deliver significantly more homes to help tackle the housing crisis, albeit in different ways. Let’s hope that once the dust settles after the General Election and we have an outcome one way or the other regarding Brexit, we can move forward and government can concentrate on addressing major issues like the housing crisis.

The team at LABM would like to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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HEATING & PLUMBIN G KITCHENS & BATHRO OMS ROOFING, CLADDIN G & INSULATION

COVER STORY: The new Chesil Lodge £16m Extra Care facility commissioned by Winchester City and Hampshire County Council features bronze rainscreen cladding from Proteus Façades. For more information visit: www.proteusfacades.com.

DECEMBER

SPECIAL REPORTS LABM finds out how today’s used to deliver the technology can be homes of tomorrow.

LABM looks at PAS 2035 — a new standard that aims to guide all future retrofit work.

THE LEADING MAGAZINE FOR LOCAL AUTHORIT HOUSING ASSOCIATI Y AND ON SPECIFIERS, INCORPORATING

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NEWS ITRC sustainable infrastructure research

IN BRIEF Impact on rising private rents The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has responded to the release of the latest private sector rent statistics by calling for the Scottish Government to commit to further investment in affordable housing after the current parliamentary term ends in 2021.

The statistics show that between 2018 and 2019, 15 out of 18 Broad Rental Market Areas of Scotland have seen increases in average new let rents for two-bedroom properties, ranging from 0.2% in North Lanarkshire, up to 5.3% in Greater Glasgow.

Sally Thomas, SFHA Chief Executive, says: “Changes to social security and stagnant wages have left many households struggling to make ends meet. Rising private sector rents will only add to that pressure, making private renting increasingly unaffordable and likely increase demand in the social housing sector. The only way to meet current and future housing need is for the Scottish Government to commit to investment in affordable housing after this parliamentary term ends in 2021.”

Unhealthy buildings Living, learning and working in unhealthy buildings will cost the UK economy over £55bn between now and 2060, according to a report by research institute RAND Europe and roof window manufacturer VELUX. The findings are from the 2019 UK Healthy Homes Barometer report, which was launched in November. Children are particularly at risk, with 9,500 British children living in an unhealthy home who also have a serious illness.

The research also found that over 490,000 school days are lost in the UK each year due to illnesses associated with unhealthy housing. Furthermore, several studies have found that improving indoor air quality in school buildings would mean increased productivity of 15%.

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New research identifies sustainable infrastructure choices for OxfordMilton Keynes-Cambridge Arc. The Oxford University-led Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC) has developed globally unique methods for simulating future population, housing growth and demand for infrastructure services.

The methods explore how the necessary infrastructure can be provided affordably, securely and sustainably.

In a significant report published in November, the ITRC, led by the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute, has deployed these methods to reveal a series of insights to inform the OxfordMilton Keynes-Cambridge Arc — one of the UK’s largest housing and transport projects.

The report provides a preliminary analysis of key questions across travel time, carbon footprint, water usage, housing developments, pollution and environmental impact. It found that careful planning for new settlements could allow development whilst still protecting greenbelt land and other natural habitats, better management of energy and water needs, and a lower carbon footprint than with unplanned scenarios.

Findings include: ● Higher growth expansion and development of new settlements could result in up to 5.4 million and 6.1 million people respectively living in the Arc area by 2050. ● The vision of a carbon neutral Arc is achievable with the greatest challenge being how to heat new and existing buildings without using fossil fuels. ● Insulation and energy efficiency solutions in existing and new homes should be implemented first, followed by the introduction of low-carbon heat technologies. ● Water use in the Arc is predicted to double by 2050, and new reservoirs

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and effluent reuse schemes could aid in meeting demand.

At the eastern end of the Arc, the development of new cities scenario could result in a doubling of the annual risk of water shortages.

To preserve the Arc’s natural environment, it will be necessary to develop a ‘Green Arc’ vision where natural capital thinking is embedded throughout.

The development must be carefully planned to preserve and integrate existing natural capital assets, create new green corridors for people and wildlife.

Jim Hall, Director of the UK Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium and Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks at the University of Oxford, says: “The Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Arc is the most far-reaching housing and transport development proposed in recent decades, akin to a British Silicon Valley.

One million new homes could be created by 2050, along with a new road Expressway, a new rail link and new and innovative forms of urbanisation. ITRC’s modelling will help to create a clear vision for the Arc’s grey and green infrastructure, employment and housing.

“The tool is highly flexible and can analyse a multitude of different scenarios at varying scales. Built well, infrastructure can demonstrably and positively contribute in areas from economic prosperity and employment to health, education and the safeguarding of the planet’s natural resources.”

More net zero resources needed

DIARY DATES

Planners call on government for stronger direction on climate action.

Building Safety in Housing Conference 2020

©georgejmclittle/AdobeStock

An overwhelming majority of UK planners want the next government to give stronger direction and more resources to enable local planners to deliver net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A recent survey by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) revealed that even though 79% of respondents agreed that climate action should be a top priority for the profession, only 17% felt their nation¹s planning system or policy framework was well equipped enough to deal with the current climate crisis.

Nearly 90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that there needed to be stronger direction from central government and greater resourcing, training and capacity for local authority planning departments to enable more effective local planning for net zero carbon. Respondents also called for zero carbon targets to be set in Building Regulations, more collaboration with other industries in the built environment sector, greater subsidies

for retrofitting and more focus on transport planning. The respondents came from across the public, private and third sectors.

Chief Executive, Victoria Hills, says: “Without strong direction from central government and an increase in resources and capacity at a local level, it will be impossible for planners to meet the challenges of climate change and achieve the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. These challenges are so significant and long-term that widespread and fundamental changes in the way our societies are organised and managed will be required. Planning can’t resolve this issue on its own.”

Earlier this year, The RTPI launched its Resource Planning for Climate Action campaign at its annual conference, which calls on government to take radical climate actions around buildings and transport, and to develop a tool to help local authorities gauge the carbon impact of existing and emerging local plans.

Nothing is more important to housing associations than the safety of the homes they provide.

Wholescale change is needed with regard to building safety in the UK and the NHF believes the housing association sector should be at the forefront of this challenge.

Taking place on the 7th February at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London, the National Housing Federation’s event will focus on the Building a Safer Future consultation and the latest proposals for reforming the building system. It will look at the lessons on safety from outside of the housing sector and discuss how HAs can move beyond a culture of compliance to a culture of safety, as well as the importance of successful communication with residents.

At the event, attendees will hear from housing association tenants and Building a Safer Future early adopter organisations, as well as have the opportunity to discuss tools to help HAs create an effective plan for building safety. By analysing existing sector organisational standards delegates will create shared solutions to the challenges we face together.

For more information and to attend the event visit: www.housing.org.uk/events.

NEWS: CONTRACT UPDATE

LiveWest raises £250m to build new homes LiveWest has issued a £250m 24-year note, marking its first issuance from its A2 rated European Medium-Term Note (EMTN) Programme.

The 36,000-home provider has become one of just four housing associations to have an EMTN programme when it established its £1bn secured platform in late September. The 24-year bond was issued with 24 investors at an all-in cost of 2.346% and a spread of 140 basis points (or 1.4% greater than the cost of government debt).

LiveWest has decided to access £200m of the funds now, with the balance retained for use at a later date.

The money will largely be used to support LiveWest’s development programme of 16,000 homes over the next 10 years to alleviate the region’s housing shortage.

Melvyn Garrett, Deputy CEO and Executive Director of Finance, says: “Our

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focus is very much on delivering a substantial increase in the number of new affordable homes, delivering highquality services and ensuring that our financial and organisational resilience underpins our ambitious plans.

“This bond supports our plans to deliver 16,000 homes over the next 10 years which equates to a £2bn investment into the South West economy and will sustain over 7,000 jobs in the building supply chain.”

The bookrunners in the deal were Lloyds, Santander and MUFG and legal advice came from Trowers and Hamlins and Addleshaw Goddard and valuation from Savills.

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Sempra to build 1,000 new homes

A council-owned housebuilding company is set to commit to developing up to 1,000 new homes in five years making it one of the most ambitious of its kind in the country.

Councillors from Basildon Council met to discuss proposals for the ambitious build programme at a meeting of the Housing Development Sub-Committee on 6th

November. Despite only being in existence for little more than five years Sempra Homes continues to grow in ambition and is now set to double previous development projections of 584 in five years. At present Sempra has 462 homes expected to be completed by 2023 and an ambition to deliver up to 1,000 by 2025.

Manager of Sempra Homes Melanie Keys says: “Through our shared ownership offer we’re working alongside the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, enabling people to purchase a minimum of 25% of their home, which makes it a lot more affordable. We are one of only a few councils in the country to have investment partner status with Homes England which has secured us almost £3m in funding for 92 new homes.”

Radical estate renewal Enfield Council has agreed to plans that will transform two adjacent Edmonton estates, dramatically improving residents’ lives. Both Joyce Avenue and Snells Park have been earmarked to be redeveloped as part of a multimillion pound regeneration scheme.

The project will address concerns raised by residents about the poor quality housing on their estates. These issues include crime levels, lack of community space, and a desire for significant investment to be made in the area. If delivered, the scheme would transform the two estates and provide energy-efficient, high quality new homes for existing residents.

Plans will be developed to design out crime and create high quality public open spaces that are safe for children. The project will complement and support

ongoing improvements to Angel Edmonton town centre. The Council plans to retain ownership of almost all of the homes in the scheme. The project will deliver hundreds of new council homes alongside hundreds of council owned homes for rent, managed with long-term tenancies and a local lettings scheme. The redevelopment is subject to support from residents via a formal ballot on the proposals.

Birmingham’s first modular home delivered Shelforce, a window and door manufacturer based in Erdington, has supplied all the aluminium windows for Birmingham City Council’s first ever modular home in Hockley. Birmingham City Council’s housing arm Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust (BMHT) chose to partner with Just Solutions to deliver their first ‘ModPod’. As Shelforce is the council’s chosen manufacturer and supplier of choice, having worked on a huge number of their local authority projects in the past, they were ideal partner on the project.

“The new ‘ModPod’ looks great and for Shelforce to be playing a part in such a worthwhile project for the city is brilliant,” comments Howard Trotter, Shelforce’s Business Manager. “Shelforce has always been about making a real difference for our communities and these modular homes will hopefully meet the housing demand in Birmingham.”

The ‘ModPod’ comes in two units — the ground floor and first floor — both of which are essentially steel frames with the necessary insulated walls and customisable façades. It features a 4mm thick Acrylic brick finish on the bottom and a corrugated Aluminium exterior on the top.

SPECIAL REPORT: PAS 2035 FOR RETROFIT

PAS 2035 is an overarching document that aims to guide all future retrofit work and set new standards for the industry

Setting new standards Stuart Fairlie considers PAS 2035: 2019, the key document in the retrofit standards framework, and what it means for local authorities.

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nergy efficiency and fuel poverty has long been a concern for government. A plethora of strategies and initiatives have been instigated over the years to deal with these issues, but when it came to implementation they have all too often become disjointed, have not taken into account what’s best for the building or its occupant’s needs, and been driven by a simple desire to maximise the grant funding opportunity.

It was in response to these shortcomings that in 2015, Dr Peter Bonfield, then Chief Executive of BRE, was tasked to review how public and private funded retrofit projects were implemented. The report, Each Home Counts, was the conclusion of his endeavours and eventually led to the new PAS 2035 document. PAS 2035 is an overarching document that aims to

guide all future retrofit work and set new standards for the industry. It aims to shift perspective so that work previously undertaken in isolation, would now embrace a whole house approach.

This new approach will consider the property, environment, occupancy, and the improvement objectives of all interested parties, when deciding what measures to install. In order to achieve this, PAS 2035 stipulates that when work is considered, properties should be assessed for not just the energy saving opportunities, but also the condition and fabric of the building itself, so that the impact of any improvements can be accurately gauged.

Furthermore, when work is carried out, the guidelines specify that it must both maximise energy efficiencies and treat any essential maintenance that might otherwise undermine the benefits gained.

PAS 2035 can do better The problem with the piecemeal approach of the past is that solutions to individual problems have ignored cheaper and more effective solutions, failed to deliver the outcomes desired, or caused unforeseen issues elsewhere. Often, they might have resulted in a combination of these.

For example, replacing a boiler on an uninsulated property ignores the cheaper and more effective solution of insulation and risks further heat loss. This is a particularly vital issue for the UK, which has some of the oldest housing stock in the world, many with low levels of insulation.

But on the other hand, well intended retrofit works can lead to problems of its own, including moisture build up and mould. This is why PAS 2035 demands a holistic approach where the building, its condition and its occupants are looked at in their entirety and the questions asked: what is

Replacing a boiler on an uninsulated property ignores the cheaper and more effective solution of insulation

the best solution for this property? How can the property as a whole be best improved?

Energy inefficiencies do not just have financial costs, but impact people across the board. The effect of piecemeal solutions that ignore the holistic approach of the whole house model might swap one problem for another, or just reduce a problem rather than eliminate it. For example, occupants of homes that are not properly heated are at greater risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disease. But the mould and damp caused by an inadequately ventilated home can also cause ill-health. PAS 2035 promises to eliminate ‘sick house syndrome’ by finding the correct solutions to a building’s energy efficiency needs.

Fuel poverty is another linked issue which PAS 2035 can help to address.

While the cost of fuel is out of the hands of central and local government to a great extent, addressing energy efficiency will help to alleviate the problem. All this will benefit the property, the occupant, the community and the planet.

The property will be more sustainable, and the need for repairs and maintenance will be reduced. The resident may see health benefits and see their bills reduced.

The community might see less pressure on services — a healthier population might need to access health services less often

— and a boost to the economy as people have greater spending power and of course less fuel use means less carbon emissions, which is good for the planet

ECO funding With the Government committed to the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the nation’s housing stock really has to deliver. For this reason, it is likely that ECO and all other government-funded retrofit projects will need to be PAS 2035 compliant. ECO3 has already committed to use PAS 2035 starting from 1st January 2020 and the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced that it fully intends to implement all the findings of the Each Home Counts review, and this is what led to PAS 2035.

So, it is no surprise that ECO3 has to embrace the standard and its aims.

Elmhurst has the expertise to assist local authorities to get the most out of PAS 2035. We operate a TrustMark approved Retrofit Assessor and Retrofit Coordinator scheme. Members of these schemes can undertake domestic retrofit work within the PAS 2035 framework.

Previous government schemes handed over control of the retrofit process to the installer rather than the local authority but PAS 2035 reverses this, the control of any

retrofit project now lying with the Retrofit Coordinator. For those local authorities wishing to manage projects internally Elmhurst is here to advise and assist.

The carbon emission targets that the UK Government has signed up to are some of the most ambitious in the world; indeed Britain is the first major economy to sign such a pledge into law. If the UK is to meet these targets, every sector of the economy needs to do its bit and housing is no different. PAS 2035 promises to help the sector meet its contributions. The ‘cost of customer acquisition’ will reduce as more measures are installed into a smaller number of properties.

Furthermore, as there will be more work undertaken to prepare homes for improvement, and only those suitable will be targeted, the cost of failure and remediation will markedly decrease.

Elmhurst believes that PAS 2035 can only be a positive development and that it is important for the industry to embrace it.

The opportunities it presents are numerous and the contribution it will make to society and sustainability vast.

Stuart Fairlie is Technical Director at Elmhurst Energy ■ www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk

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SPECIAL REPORT: INNOVATION IN PROCUREMENT

Ray Jones discusses why innovation in procurement will build stronger relationships, deliver greater value and improve outcomes for clients and customers.

It’s important to create a trusting relationship between the client and the service provider

Procurement – A time for change t’s an exciting time for the property services industry. A changing political, social and economic landscape means organisations are pushing boundaries, embracing change and developing new ways of working to ensure strong and lasting collaborations.

Despite significant changes in many areas, procurement has traditionally remained behind the curve when it comes to innovation and development. While elsewhere in the sector partnership working and increased client satisfaction reign, managing construction industry contractors remains largely transactional and driven by price.

This means that while low costs may prevail in the short-term, it can sometimes be at the expense of quality and longevity, often leading to a domino effect across the supply chain. The result is contractual rather than consensual relationships as all parties attempt to widen their margins, creating a lack of openness and mistrust. Likewise, maintenance contracts often prioritise costs.

They typically focus on unit or fixed price arrangements for delivering individual tasks

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rather than added value such as customer satisfaction and first-time fixes.

An approach for the future At Liberty, we always look to focus on outcomes, working together with others to make the environments we work in safe, smart and better for everyone. We know trust is of paramount importance when it comes to the success of any project.

Where there is a trusting relationship

between the client and the service provider, the resulting feeling of shared responsibility for successful delivery ensures a foundation for better outcomes.

Involving contractors at a much earlier stage in the construction process would allow greater trust by fostering this partnership-led approach. It also means a shift in focus towards whole life costs or overall property costs, rather than unitbased assessments. Ultimately, a more long-term, joined up approach could lead to greater satisfaction, and have a tangible impact on the bottom line too.

We pride ourselves on anticipating issues and addressing problems before they occur. Like the most successful procurements, we look to deliver maximum value rather than lead on the belief that lower cost is always better. This approach often also leads to reduced costs in the longer-term.

It also gives an opportunity for truly open dialogue between all partners involved in a project. For example, working with clients in the early development

most importantly — it successfully aligns the needs of tenant and landlord.

Ray Jones, Managing Director at property services company Liberty

Proven results

phase has allowed us to influence design and build principles, to deliver short and longer-term efficiencies.

In practice, we have been able to suggest new construction options to deliver high quality properties and a more affordable price with a greater degree of delivery certainty.

Clients have been presented with a timely, alternative solution which enables them to develop land quickly, and realise a return on capital faster than traditional methods. Working differently with subcontractors and larger suppliers has also allowed us to open up a number of innovations that we have been able to integrate into our core offering to clients.

Transforming traditional ways of thinking when it comes to procurement activity can seem like a difficult task, but by keeping suppliers at arms-length, significant opportunities are missed. By ensuring a partnership driven approach, with emphasis on value, quality and

certainty, inflated costs can be avoided, and risks mitigated.

We have already seen the many benefits that this type of approach can offer landlords, including the reduction of average repair times from 24 to seven days, with more repairs undertaken in a shorter amount of time. Tenant satisfaction levels have soared from 60% to 99%, and despite an initial growth in expenditure caused by reactive repair costs and latent demand, the merging of reactive repairs with planned ones has meant that costs have actually fallen year-on-year.

Our organisational capacity has seen a significant step-change too, with an increase in mean capacity of staff from 85 to 225 jobs per day, and almost half of our call centre’s capacity freed up.

Far-reaching benefits

A mindset step-change

This collaborative and long-term view of procurement also leads to a shift in focus in other areas. For example, traditionally maintenance work on a property has focused on individual repairs required.

However, by moving to measure repair effectiveness rather than simply completion, suddenly we are enabling a whole property view and giving a clearer picture of potential future issues that may also be resolved.

This broader approach to property repairs not only increases client satisfaction, but also proactively ensures the housing stock is properly maintained, reducing overall costs.

It empowers skilled operatives to intervene early when attending repair jobs, with the ability to diagnose and rectify additional problems while on site, and —

Providing a value-added approach, working more closely in collaboration with others and empowering experts to identify and respond to issues may seem like a simple task. But, to be fully successful, this new approach to procurement needs to be accepted and integrated right across the end-to-end value chain, from developers through to sub-contractors.

This means a different mindset at every stage of the process. It requires greater transparency at all levels, with an agreement to engage with supply chain partners earlier in a project.

A commitment to being more open to innovation is key to ensure success, and this includes contractors who should be willing to open up and treat their subcontractors as partners, too. We need to give it time and embrace trust in others in order to realise its potential.

This may sound like a mountain to climb, but perhaps this is a small commitment to make to ensure we can use our intelligence, people skills and expertise to do things better for our clients, providing value, certainty, and importantly quality for them well into the future.

Involving contractors at an earlier stage in the construction process helps foster a partnership-led approach

Ray Jones is Managing Director at property services company Liberty ■ www.liberty-group.co.uk

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Housing under the next government The General Election called for 12th December is proving to be about much more than Brexit. The party manifestos include a range of new pledges on public spending, taxation, immigration, the economy, NHS and social care. But on housing all parties stay close to the policy positions they have staked out since 2017, says Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of retained Council Housing (ARCH). he Conservatives reaffirm their ambition to increase housebuilding to 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s and to publish a Social Housing White Paper taking forward the proposals from their 2018 Green Paper. Labour would aim to be building 150,000 new council and housing association homes a year by 2025, all available at social rents. The Liberal Democrats and Greens are only slightly less ambitious, aiming for 100,000 new social homes a year. All parties say they want to end rough sleeping by the end of the next Parliament (assuming it runs its full term).

Stepping back, perhaps, from Theresa May’s ambition of a “new generation of council housing”, the Conservative manifesto focuses on the total number of homes to be built for sale and rent, and talks about the need for affordable housing, without discussing which types of affordable housing it is talking about or how many are needed of each.

Right to Buy will continue and be extended to housing association tenants, and, interestingly, there is no mention of the idea of a ‘right to shared ownership’ floated a few weeks ago. The other parties take the opposite approach, including a specific

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target for the number of social homes to be provided but not for the total national housing output. Labour would end the Right to Buy, while the Liberal Democrats want to devolve control of it to local authorities.

Keeping promises If elected, will any of the parties be able to keep these promises? As usual, media and other discussion has focused on the practicality of spending plans — for example, could Labour finance its social housing programme without an unacceptable increase in taxation? But finding the money is not the only, nor perhaps even the most important obstacle to the successful delivery of a big increase in housebuilding, whether for sale or rent, private or social.

There is a cluster of hard challenges standing in the way, including getting access to the land needed at a fair price, and engineering the step-changes in capacity of every part of the housing industry needed to crank output up to the numbers envisaged. And — in these numbers — more homes means new settlements, new towns, possibly new cities. There are big implications for every part of the industry — in the broadest

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There is a cluster of hard “challenges standing in the way, including getting access to the land needed at a fair price...

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sense of this term, from planners and architects, developers and builders, and every building trade. A declaration of faith in the potential of modern methods of construction does not add up to a realistic plan to address these challenges.

Admittedly, there is more substance to the Conservative and Labour proposals than is spelt out in their manifestos. Both parties have spent time and trouble exploring some of these issues and working on responses. The risk is that little of this comes across in pre-election campaigning or media coverage, and the public is left with the idea that little more is involved than a numbers game. In fact, much more is at stake.

www.arch-housing.org.uk

SPECIAL REPORT: BUILDING A DIGITAL PLATFORM

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Critical data Jeff Hewitt discusses how the social housing crisis can be tackled by building tomorrow's homes with today's technology. ngland is in the midst of a housing crisis, which, if unresolved, will impede social mobility. An estimated 8.4 million people in England are living in unaffordable, insecure or unsuitable homes, according to the National Housing Federation and citizens of all ages are feeling the impact across every part of the country.

Constrained budgets, rapidly changing citizen expectations and increased security and compliance issues are all adding to the pressure on housing associations to offer affordable housing.

To relieve this pressure housing associations are striving to better connect employees and customers to deliver improved outcomes for their communities.

Here, we explore three ways digital housing platforms can help providers

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Three million new social homes must be built in England over 20 years

adapt to the constant changes and demanding landscape they operate in.

Unlocking data for better services Housing associations sit on a goldmine of data and unlocking the power of the information they hold is key to building a digital platform that can address many of the challenges they face. Sometimes, poor decisions can occur when data is not consolidated. By creating a single holistic view of critical data, social housing

providers will gain a better understanding of people and their homes. For example, this single view, which is enabled by the cloud, streamlines the customer experience by allowing providers to quickly understand factors such as the number of customers on housing waiting lists and the value of rent arrears owed.

And it will help processes internally too.

Having all data in one place, on a scalable platform, allows social housing providers to understand the financial consequence of

…predictive technologies “such as artificial intelligence and robotic process automation can help organisations proactively spot problems before they occur, which reduces risk and supports the compliance of

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data and assets.

every decision. It enables organisations to identify where spending inefficiencies occur in real-time, meaning internal processes can be streamlined and decisions can be driven by live data, on the ground, on the spot.

Avoid additional costs by ensuring compliance Three million new social homes must be built in England over 20 years to solve the 'housing crisis'. With this many new homes, it's essential that social housing providers have a single view of their housing assets and financial management.

Using Civica's cloud-based Cx housing and financial management software provides a real-time view on rent payments and arrears. This enables organisations to work smarter through automation and streamlining processes.

In addition, predictive technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotic process automation can help organisations proactively spot problems before they occur, which reduces risk and supports the compliance of data and assets.

While many social housing providers might not yet think they are in a position to implement these predictive technologies, there are financial solutions that many providers use today that offer live management information, and the ability to study costs and profitability based on realtime data. Unitas, the housing repair and maintenance company of Stoke-on-Trent City Council recently integrated their repairs and maintenance solution with Civica's financials cloud software to access real-time management information, streamline invoice management and quickly monitor and analyse both costs and profitability.

Driving a digital agenda Online banking, Amazon and other retailers have raised the bar in terms of self-service customer experience and citizens expect similar levels of service from local authorities. 24-hour contact and delivery, at any location, and flexibility in the variety of channels that citizens can use to interact with organisations should be the minimum from the housing sector.

Residents want to be able to contact and speak to their social housing provider through the means and channels of their choice, and they expect instant responses.

That's why social housing providers need software that can help them deliver efficient, connected and responsive services to customers, enabling them to self-serve and speak at the time and through the channel of their choice.

Technology is helping to expand the line of communication across the board.

Cloud software facilitates mobile working, as employees working for social housing organisations and local authorities can work within communities to securely share live information with residents and partners, while also supporting a paperless agenda.

For example, Prospect Community Housing has improved communications and increased channel shift, with 35% of its customers switching to self-serve in the first three months, showing the need to move online to increase speed and ease.

Through access to a single view of data, and greater insights into where money and time is spent, housing providers can both overcome market challenges and deliver better outcomes for people and communities.

Jeff Hewitt is Executive Director Housing & Communities at Civica ■ For more information on Civica's cloud-based Cx housing and financial management software visit www.rdr.link/lk001

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LEGAL UPDATE

Planning applications Karen Cooksley is a Partner and Head of Planning and Colette McCormack is a Partner at Winckworth Sherwood. Both can be reached via www.wslaw.co.uk.

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ince the introduction of environmental impact assessments in 1999 it has been common practise (and a requirement for some local planning authorities) to ensure that the description of development on the planning permission contained the maximum number of uses and units.

Any change to the development that affected these uses could be amended by a Section 73 powers in the Town and Country Planning Act application. This process allowed changes to be made to a scheme as long as those changes did not result in the scale or nature of the development being substantially different from the one previously approved. It is commonly referred to as an application to vary a condition on the extant planning permission but in law creates a new permission.

This approach created flexibility to allow the development to respond to changes going forward and was particular useful on large scale multi-phased development where the planning permission allows a build out over a number of years.

A Court of Appeal decision handed down in November 2019 has now made it

The decision as to what is “material lies with the local planning authority and there is no right of appeal against a local planning authority’s refusal of a

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Section 96 application.

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The Court of Appeal makes it harder to vary planning permissions says Karen Cooksley and Colette McCormack at Winckworth Sherwood. no longer lawful to allow S73 applications to amend the description of development.

When a planning permission fixes in the description of the development the number of units or total floor space it is now no longer lawful to secure amendments via Section 73 powers, leaving developers tied to the permissions that are already in place.

The Court of Appeal decision has caught local authorities and social housing providers by surprise, creating problems on sites with existing permissions and requiring new thinking on new planning permissions.

Existing permissions Social housing providers and developers wishing to make changes to a description of a development in an existing permission should now consider making a request to the relevant local planning authority using Section 96 powers, which allow for nonmaterial changes to permission. The Court of Appeal judgment makes express provision for this.

But there is a word of caution. The decision as to what is material lies with the local planning authority and there is no right of appeal against a local planning authority’s refusal of a Section 96 application. It may decide that the proposed change is material if they have an impact on CIL — an S96A decision is not a planning permission in terms of the CIL regime and so the collecting authority will not be able to secure any uplift.

S96a applications were meant to be swift and if there were no changes to obligations then, unlike S73 applications, no linking deed of variation was required.

Where a variation to a Section 106 deed is required, Section 96 applications may take significantly longer to determine.

If the local planning authority considers the change to be material and declines to

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proceed with a Section 96 application, a wholly new application is likely to be required, with the consent times, additional cost, and the possibility of a new or more onerous planning policy landscape.

A way forward Social housing providers, developers and local authorities need now to give careful thought to the structure of the description of development on a planning permission.

We recommend that to preserve the use of Section 73 powers the description of the development in a planning application does not fix the number of units or total floor space. Instead, this should be controlled via planning conditions (the Section 106 agreement can still refer to these maximum numbers and may need to do so for viability reviews), thus enabling Section 73 to be used to change details at a later date to respond to market conditions and delivery.

This approach will, however, require discussion and agreement with the local planning authority, which may not always be forthcoming. It will also require proper consideration of any Environmental Impact Assessment implications to ensure the parameters for assessment are clearly identified so as to minimise the risk of judicial review. This Court of Appeal decision has made an already complex planning landscape just that little more so.

HEATING & PLUMBING

Looking long-term off-grid In the face of mounting pressure to specify sustainable technologies, local authority stakeholders — especially in off grid areas — are increasingly forced to choose between the specification of high cost renewable systems and the number of homes they can afford to build per site. Ian Digby explains how taking a long-term view can solve sustainability concerns without diverting budget from much needed additional rural homes. hen it comes to heating provision for new-build properties off the gas grid, there are a number of technologies available for consideration.

However, each of these has their own pros and cons, both in terms of benefits to the tenant and the local authority.

Traditionally, the core off-grid options were electric, oil or LPG, but in recent years, ground and air source heat pumps have risen in prominence due to a growing governmental emphasis on renewables.

However, whilst these systems can provide an answer to sustainability pressures, the associated initial capital investment can mean a drain on budget that results in fewer homes per site — a serious concern for rural local authorities.

Analysis conducted by CPRE earlier this year found that there are 173,584 families on council waiting lists for social housing in rural authorities. Given the current rate of

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Calor plans to offer BioLPG to the new-build housing market in 2020

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HEATING & PLUMBING The appointed LPG “supplier on the site will take care of all maintenance of the tanks and pipework and maintain a constant supply

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of gas to all residents…

According to CPRE research there are 173,584 families on council waiting lists for social housing in rural authorities

building in these areas, it would take an estimated 130 years to meet the current backlog alone. What’s more, the past year has seen rural homelessness increase by a staggering 85%, further increasing the pressure on local authorities to create the maximum housing possible within already stretched budgets.1

Balancing the costs Against this tough economic backdrop, it can be difficult to justify the cost of technologies such as air source heat pumps (ASHPs), even in light of the growing focus on renewables. To put the scale of this outlay into context, a recent report found that ASHPs can cost up to £8,000 more per plot in capital set up than an LPG system, whilst offering a comparative reduction of as little as £6 per month in tenant bills.2 Also, given that the typical manufacturer warranty on an ASHP is less than five years3, a stark drop from the 10 years offered by many gas boiler manufacturers4, any possible savings in running costs could easily be lost in increased service, repair and maintenance requirements.

Taking these factors into account, the efficiency benefits offered by heat pumps must be balanced with how the size of capital expenditure can impact on site viability when compared to options such as LPG. By choosing a system with much lower capital costs, there is greater possibility of maximising a site, releasing budget to support the building of additional plots to

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help reduce the chronic lack of affordable housing in rural areas. However, though the core objective of any social housing provider is to offer maximum access to quality housing for people on low incomes, the pressure to account for sustainability and environmental impact cannot be ignored.

But, by taking a longer-term view, local authorities can satisfy the demand for greater efficiency, without compromising on the number of homes built per site.

BioLPG is a fully renewable, non-fossil fuel option made from a blend of waste, residues and sustainably sourced materials, which operates in exactly the same way as standard LPG and works perfectly with the same appliances.

Long-term view Calor plans to offer BioLPG to the newbuild housing market in 2020 and to offer only BioLPG to all markets by 2030. As BioLPG is chemically identical to standard LPG there is no requirement to change any equipment such as boilers and meters. This means any local authority that chooses to install LPG on its current new-build developments is laying the foundations of infrastructure that will work just as well with BioLPG as it does with LPG. Alongside these long-term efficiency gains, LPG offers a number of immediate benefits. For example, in operation and design, LPG boilers have no difference from mains gas and as such are straightforward and easy to operate, presenting no challenges to future tenants

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who may not be familiar with the different operating controls involved with electric and heat pump systems.

What’s more, LPG is discreet and low maintenance. For the vast majority of new homes, LPG will be supplied via a network of communal underground tanks with each individual property being separately metered. The appointed LPG supplier on the site will take care of all maintenance of the tanks and pipework and maintain a constant supply of gas to all residents, topping the tank up with fresh supplies when required, ensuring the experience of tenants is essentially no different from those on mains gas.

Rural local authorities need to take a variety of factors into consideration when choosing which fuel option to select for offgrid new-build homes. Whilst modern renewable technologies can satisfy sustainability demands in the short-term, these gains come at a high price — both in terms of capital outlay, and the knock-on effect this has on the budget available to maximise the number of homes built on site. By taking a long-term view, local authorities can balance budget, efficiency and tenant needs, whilst keeping maintenance to a minimum.

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https://www.cpre.org.uk/media-centre/latestnews-releases/item/5181-the-hidden-housingcrisis-rural-homelessness-on-the-rise 2 http://www.calor.co.uk/briary-report 3 & 4 https://www.boilerguide.co.uk/articles/ best-boiler-warranties

Ian Digby is Specifier Sales Manager at Calor ■ For more information on Calor’s LPG and BioLPG offering visit: www.rdr.link/lk002

HEATING & PLUMBING

Derby Homes’ Rivermead House

Heat source Derby Homes is an arm's length management organisation (ALMO) created by Derby City Council to manage, maintain and improve its social housing. With an ongoing strategy to improve the energy rating of its tenant properties, Derby Homes turned to Vaillant to deliver a highly efficient heating system at Rivermead House. LABM reports. ver the last couple of decades, housing organisations have been set up around the country tasked with the objective of maintaining housing stock and improving the standard of homes. Since 2002, this responsibility has fallen to Derby Homes, which manages council homes in the East Midlands city of Derby.

After assessing all the properties in its portfolio, Rivermead House, a development of 54 flats in an off-gas area north of Derby city centre, was flagged as requiring a more efficient heating system. With ageing electric storage heaters in place, Derby Homes set about finding a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution.

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Going renewable Having already carried out a programme of thermal improvements to the homes, including wall and loft insulation, the next phase was to see how innovative heating solutions could achieve further reductions in running costs.

“We were initially keen to investigate the possibility of various heat source options such as running a micro-district heat pump, using energy from the ground or the local river,” says David Pickering, Gas Supervisor at Derby Homes. “However, these options were ruled out as potential costs were coming in over £13,500 per flat. We needed a solution that could be easily installed, with as little disruption for tenants as possible.

We wanted to ensure residents were fully on board with the project.”

Derby Homes turned to preferred manufacturer, Vaillant, for support in finding innovative renewable technologies that could deliver the savings it needed at an affordable price.

After a survey of the site, the team immediately recognised that the balconies of each flat would be an ideal space to house an air source heat pump.

As Derby Homes is a non-profit organisation, savings needed to be made wherever possible.

“With pressure on budgets, we explained that money could be saved if Derby Homes undertook the system

We needed a solution that “could be easily installed, with as little disruption for tenants as possible. We wanted to ensure residents were fully

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on board with the project.

The air source heat pumps were installed on the balconies

fitting, as opposed to using a contractor, with the support of Vaillant every step of the way,” Mark Burton comments. “Vaillant offered full training on the air source heat pumps and our engineers were on-site at least once a week to give continued assistance and guidance to their in house team of installers.”

Each flat was installed with its own aroTHERM 5kW air source heat pump, VRC 700 weather compensating system control and a 150-litre slimline hot water cylinder.

Costs were successfully kept to a minimum, with each flat fitted for £6,000 — a huge 30% saving against a comparable quote.

Each flat benefits from an air source heat pump, VRC 700 weather compensating system control and a 150-litre slimline hot water cylinder

Tenant support One of the major challenges of social housing projects is to gain the support of tenants and Derby Homes needed to make this a key part of the strategy. There are many myths and pre-conceptions around renewables, which Derby Homes were keen to overcome. One way to do this is to improve the communication with tenants, so Vaillant presented its renewable show trailer outside Rivermead House on 13th July 2017.

With a working aroTHERM on board, the day was spent speaking to the tenants, demonstrating how the equipment worked and proving its low noise levels. Derby Homes had already fitted three pilot installations, which demonstrated the cost saving benefits to the remaining tenants and gave them confidence that the project would be a success.

David says: “Thanks to Vaillant’s help throughout the process, the feedback and support of the tenants has been excellent, there have been no problems whatsoever. The new heat pump systems are a major improvement on the electric storage heaters, and now the residents can enjoy affordable control of their heating throughout the entire flat.”

Since the installation, the tenants are also seeing a huge reduction in their fuel bills. One of the main benefits of air source heat pumps is that they can help safeguard against the fluctuations in oil and LPG prices that leave tenants vulnerable to the ever-rising costs of

heating their home. With the previous storage heating system, average energy consumption of 13068kwh equated to costs of around £1,250 a year. With aroTHERM heat pumps in place, bills have been slashed to £730 per annum, providing a typical saving of £520 a year per household.

Significant savings through RHI The installation of renewable heating technology at Rivermead House also means that Derby Homes can take advantage of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). In order to claim RHI, it had to apply for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), the installation standard for heat pumps.

As this was their first heat pump project, Vaillant offered special assistance with the certification process. From this, it is projected over the next seven years over £196,000 will be claimed by Derby Homes through RHI. What’s more, the training and professional qualifications that Derby Homes installers have now obtained can be applied to other projects in the future.

David concludes: “The completion of this project is a win-win — not only have we helped tenants to reduce their bills and take them out of fuel poverty, we’ve also played our part in reducing harmful carbon emissions.”

With thanks o Vaillant for preparing this article ■ For more information on the aroTHERM air source heat pump range visit www.rdr.link/lk003

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HEATING & PLUMBING

One of the most important factors in maintaining water quality is the choice of plumbing system material.

However, solutions today are being scrutinised due to growing concern surrounding contamination of drinking water supplies from metallic components, leaving building services professionals searching for new, innovative alternatives.

Franz Huelle reports.

The UK’s Water Regulators voiced their concerns about metallic leaching into drinking water earlier this year

Fit for purpose P lumbing systems and materials are constantly evolving, from the first terracotta systems to modern-day PE-Xa pipework. Perhaps the most infamous of those was lead, which, following better understanding of its health risks, was banned from use in pipework more than 40 years ago. Since then, material choices in plumbing have changed, with specifiers and building service providers often favouring brass and copper.

Yet, their use is now being scrutinised due to potential health risks associated with these materials leaching into water supplies via metallic components.

Addressing the issue Concerns about metallic leaching into drinking water supplies were voiced by The UK’s Water Regulators in an open letter earlier this year. It referred to findings from UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR), which drew the link between metallic fittings in contact with drinking water and elevated concentrations of metal ions in drinking water supplies.

Increased levels of nickel and lead within the supply, potentially leached from some brass fittings, were also particularly prominent in the UKWIR’s research.

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The current reference point for assessing the impact of non-metallic materials used in pipework is represented by criteria in British Standard (BS) 6920. The Water Regulator’s Advice Service’s (WRAS) approval scheme has for many years included this evaluation of levels of metal leaching from non-metallic fittings in contact with drinking water supplies.

Though testing determining potentially adverse effects metallic components have on water supplies exist, the letter declared this testing, set out in the British Standards Institute’s 2002 ‘Draft for Development Standard’ unsuitable and unrepresentative of real use. Investigations in this area have also highlighted that, unlike non-metallic testing, no corresponding system or reliable testing determining the long-term leaching effects of metallic fittings is in place.

Recent scientific research dictates that, in the initial months following installation, metal-leaching rates from new metallic fittings can rise. In response, the 4MS Group — an initiative between the UK, France, the Netherlands and Germany to harmonise drinking water requirements — organised performance criteria guiding the correct use of metallic plumbing fittings coming into contact with water.

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Avoiding risk BS EN 15664 sets precedents for assessing potentially harmful contamination of drinking water from metallic materials. Metals adhering to BS EN 15664 can be used for plumbing fittings to reduce metal leaching into water and are added to the ‘Common Composition List’, available via the 4MS website.

Nevertheless, unless fittings are completely lead-free, a small risk of lead leaching into will always remain. It is also worth acknowledging, under current regulations; the 4MS Group’s criteria are optional. Therefore, despite improved products’ compliance reducing consumer risk, a guaranteed level of protection cannot be assured as not all available metallic fittings have been assessed correctly.

For the first time in preparation for being added, the candidate list for Annex XIV under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations has recently included lead. Sometimes referred to as the REACH Authorisation List, Annex XIV lists chemical substances deemed a Substance of Very High Concern that should no longer be available on the

market or used after a given date, expect with specific authorisation.

With pressure on manufacturers and plumbing solutions providers to ensure they use compliant materials for fittings and focus on using lead-free, non-metallic leaching materials in pipework, the need for alternatives is larger than ever.

Protection through polymer Such investigations and codes of practice mean specifiers, designers and other building service providers may consider it more sensible to opt for non-metallic components when selecting a plumbing solution, using fittings with materials found in the ‘Common Composition List’.

Though discussion surround the use of plastic over metal fittings in plumbing systems continues, risk of metal leaching into drinking water should render polymerbased systems the more practical alternative. Given advances in polymer solutions, plastic alternatives are now a

more flexible and hygienic choice for contractors.

Systems such as REHAU’s RAUTITAN heating and plumbing solution comply with standards, particularly with the recent introduction of its REACHcompliant, lead-free gunmetal RX+ fitting. A durable and easy-to-install system for safe drinking water solutions, the product’s cavity-free impermeable joints eliminate risk of microbial contamination and smooth surface prevent deposits forming. Thanks to this and the new RX+ fitting, both the flex and the multilayer stabil in the RAUTITAN range have been awarded WRAS approval.

Reducing quantities of metallic components and adhering to BS EN 15664, Annex XIV of REACH, and the ‘Common Composition Lists’, will put specifiers and designers at ease knowing water quality

will remain high. If stakeholders instead opt for using inadequately tested metallic fittings, they could risk contamination from long-term leaching. In addition to the negative impact on health, this could also damage contractors’ reputation going forward.

The RAUTITAN universal 10 bar pipework solution

Franz Huelle is Head of Technical at REHAU Building Solutions ■ For more information about the RAUTITAN universal 10 bar pipework solution visit www.rdr.link/lk004

HEATING & PLUMBING

Councils across the UK are turning to CHP as an economic tool to drive energy efficiency improvements at their leisure centres, minimising building emissions and energy costs. Mark Gibbons reports.

Swimming pools typically use five times as much energy per square metre as offices

Pooling the savings with CHP n today’s uncertain times, it’s clear that our existing building stock needs to be as energy-efficient as possible if we are to achieve our tighter environmental targets and make them more cost-effective to run.

While every building will have its own specific requirements, in sites with high, constant heat demand, forward-thinking councils are turning to Combined Heat and Power to meet these goals.

Leisure centres are a case in point, where energy costs typically amount to as much as 30% of the total operating expense, second only to the cost of labour. In complexes with swimming pools, the heating and hot water provision alone can account for as much as 65% of energy consumption. Electricity usage is also high, especially in centres that use it extensively for air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, fans, pumps and more.

Cheshire East Council is one council that is leading by example, having recently announced its ambition to become carbon neutral by 2025. When the opportunity arose to refurbish the heating system at Macclesfield Leisure Centre, one of its largest complexes, the Energy Department was keen to explore ways of reducing demand — including introducing Combined Heat and Power (CHP).

CHP generates lower-cost electricity and heat simultaneously on-site in one highly efficient process. As such, it is capable of reducing primary energy usage and bills by 30% compared with traditional

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generation. The greater the ‘spark spread’ — or difference between gas and electricity costs — the greater the savings from a CHP system. And with electricity prices currently at around four times the cost of gas, the resulting commercial benefits make this technology still more compelling for forward-thinking councils.

Demand side But here’s the caveat — to generate maximum returns, the CHP needs to run for long periods of time during the day, so it’s essential to check that the demand is there. Macclesfield Leisure Centre is wellsuited to CHP. Not only is it open nearly every day of the year, but also it boasts a 25-metre swimming pool and learner pool in addition to its fully-equipped gym, studio, and changing room facilities.

“CHP was the obvious choice for us when the opportunity became available for the council energy department to improve the efficiency of Macclesfield Leisure Centre,” says Colin Farrelly, Energy Manager at Cheshire East Council. “The leisure centre is one of our largest energy users and, as such, the impact of applying CHP will be significant across the whole estate.”

unit working in conjunction with six Remeha Quinta Ace 160 high-efficiency condensing boilers to optimise overall system efficiency.

Pairing CHP with high-efficiency condensing boilers is an effective means of ensuring that the system performs to its full potential, reducing operational costs while generating electricity at lower gas prices. The R-Gen CHP unit operates as the lead boiler with the condensing boilers providing additional heat during peak periods when required. For SVM-BSD, there were clear advantages of using one supplier for all the components.

“Working with Remeha has ensured a smooth delivery and installation process,” says Sean. “It will also simplify future maintenance and servicing, as all spare parts can be accessed immediately from a central hub.”

Heating system design The design scoped by consulting engineers SVM-Building Services Design (SVM-BSD) identified a Remeha R-Gen 50/100kW ultra-low NOx condensing CHP

Six Remeha Quinta Ace 160 boilers work alongside a Remeha R-Gen 50_100 condensing CHP unit at Macclesfield Leisure Centre

With high, constant demand for heat and power, leisure centres with swimming pools, like Macclesfield Leisure Centre, are particularly well suited to CHP

Paul Towler, Director at CM Oxendale, the project M&E Contractor agreed, saying: “Having one point of contact certainly makes life much easier.”

Ensuring good integration of CHP and boilers is also key, as well as considering long-term maintenance options from the outset. Good suppliers will be able to support on both these areas.

“A major benefit for us is that the Remeha team has an in-depth understanding of both technologies which has resulted in a well-integrated system,” continues Paul.

“They supported us throughout, from the design stage and hydraulic arrangement to the final ‘fine tuning’ of the system for optimum performance.”

Close collaboration Minimising disruption was the key priority for ENGIE, the council’s principal contractor and FM Provider, as the leisure centre needed to remain open throughout the works.

“Ensuring that the building and its services were unaffected during the works required careful planning, co-ordination and collaboration,” explains Karl Durber, ENGIE’s Senior Projects Manager.

“Working in a live environment can present complex logistical challenges. But this was a really good team effort with regular progress meetings ensuring excellent communication throughout the project.”

35% fall in primary energy usage

Long-term maintenance To ensure that the CHP operates continuously and at optimum performance throughout its lifetime, the council has implemented a Remeha service plan.

Remote monitoring is an important component of the service programme as an estimated 85% of reported CHP faults can be corrected and reset remotely.

From an FM perspective, the remote monitoring service at Macclesfield Leisure Centre provides ENGIE with peace of mind that, if a problem should occur, it can be easily resolved — often without the need for a service visit.

Now commissioned and fully operational, the CHP has been running continuously for the last two months, using all the 100kW of heat it generates per hour to heat the swimming pool, provide space heating throughout the leisure centre, feed the Air Handling Units and serve the hot water demand. The scheme has proved so successful that the Council is now installing a second Remeha R-Gen CHP unit in another of its leisure centres.

“Since 2009, when Cheshire East Council was established as part of structural changes, the Council has reduced its CO2 by 40%,” adds Colin. “Alongside our environmental goals, the council has the ambition to improve the health of residents by providing them with access to leisure

A Remeha R-Gen 20 44kWe CHP unit, working in conjunction with three Remeha Gas 310 Eco Pro condensing boilers at Penrith Leisure Centre

Eden District Council has released data indicating a 35% fall in total primary energy usage at its Penrith Leisure Centre since refurbishing the heating system with a Remeha turnkey CHP and boiler solution. Mechanical & Electrical engineers Thomas Armstrong recommended replacing the old plant with a new Remeha 20/44kW ultra-low R-Gen condensing CHP unit operating in conjunction with three Remeha Gas 310 Eco Pro highefficiency condensing boilers. The energy cost savings are further boosted by the ability of CHP to generate electricity on site at lower gas prices. centres. So, it makes perfect sense to make them as efficient as possible — and CHP is helping us do just that.”

Mark Gibbons, National Sales Manager for Remeha CHP ■ For more information on Remeha’s CHP solutions visit www.rdr.link/lL005

CHP Checklist ● Is the demand there? To reap the full potential financial benefits from CHP, the unit needs to run for long periods of time during the day. ● Is the CHP correctly sized? Accurate sizing of the CHP unit is critical for maximum runtime. ● Is the overall system condensing?

Good integration with the system (and, in these examples, the condensing boilers) is essential to optimise system performance. ● Is a service plan in place?

Implementing a service plan maximises CHP lifetime efficiency and related commercial savings. ● Councils across the UK are turning to CHP as an economic tool to drive energy efficiency improvements at their leisure centres, minimising building emissions and energy costs.

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HEATING & PLUMBING

Around 24 million homes use gas to provide heat

Changes on the horizon With rising numbers of new-build homes either under construction or registered to be built, having an understanding of the legislative landscape is more important than ever. Jeff House explains what existing and planned legislation and policy changes mean for housing providers. ccording to figures released by the National House Building Council (NHBC) in May 2019, between February 2019 and April 2019, the number of NHBC new home registrations was 38,496, up from 36,042 in the same period in 2018. In April 2019 alone, 13,500 new homes were registered to be built, a 21% increase compared to a year ago. With the number of homes rising the construction industry has an opportunity to benefit from this continued growth. However, with this opportunity comes a need to understand and prepare for planned legislative and policy changes, especially in light of the recent UK Government commitment to a ‘net zero’ carbon target for 2050.

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Headed for electric?

July 2018 saw the Building Research Establishment (BRE) publish Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) 10, the national calculation methodology for newbuild emissions compliance. The revised SAP 10 calculation methodology will replace the outdated SAP 2012 version that has been in use since 2013. However, this will

only take effect once Approved Document L of the Building Regulations is updated (expected to happen in England in 2020).

Under the revisions, the favourability of electricity for space heating and hot water production will improve. This is because SAP 2012 is based upon an outdated grid carbon intensity value, which means 2.4 times the amount of carbon is created when electricity is used in a property as opposed to gas. The preliminary version of SAP 10 published last year proposes the average annual CO2 emission factor for grid electricity reduces from 0.519 kgCO2/kWh to 0.233 kgCO2/kWh (a 55% reduction). This is an important shift and places electricity closely behind gas, which has a CO2 emission factor of 0.210 kgCO2/kWh. When employing a heat pump the difference will become starker, with a good performing product able to offer a considerable reduction in carbon emissions in comparison to modelling under SAP 2012. However, the situation is not that straightforward. It is expected that the next iteration of Approved Document L of the Building Regulations will move from

a headline carbon compliance metric to a primary energy metric.

The upcoming Approved Document Part L will include tighter compliance targets than today’s regime, therefore building fabric will be tighter and designers

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Hydrogen boilers will not be dissimilar to those we currently use

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The preliminary version of SAP 10 “published last year proposes the average

In the future Hydrogen could replace gas systems

annual CO2 emission factor for grid electricity reduces from 0.519 kgCO2/kWh to 0.233 kgCO2/kWh (a 55% reduction).

will need to do more to mitigate energy use and emissions.

For those housing associations and developers in London, the changes to SAP will impact them earlier than others within the UK. This is because the Greater London Assembly (GLA) has made the decision to encourage property developers to use the revised SAP 10 carbon emission factors when submitting a detailed energy assessment, which is a requirement under Policy 5.2 of the London Plan. The policy change took effect in January 2019 and looks likely to remain in place until central government adopts changes to the Building Regulations.

The future of heat The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, provided food for thought for the heating and housebuilding industries during his Spring Statement speech (13th March 2019) with the announcement that the Government would look to introduce a Future Homes Standard from 2025. The Chancellor announced that the Government would seek to mandate “the end of fossil fuel heating systems in all new houses from 2025.” This would form part of government’s commitment to halve the energy use of new-build properties by 2030, although the written ministerial statement is not as explicit and mentions ‘low carbon heat.’

As part of his statement, the Chancellor set out plans to rely more on the use of ‘green gas’ in the UK’s heating systems.

This is a welcome move by the

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Government and demonstrates evident support for the use of gases such as hydrogen and biomethane to decarbonise the UK’s housing stock.

With 24 million homes and businesses currently reliant on gas to provide heat, hydrogen conversion in appropriate locations could provide a near-zero carbon alternative that causes minimal disruption to consumers alongside alternative measures in other areas.

Current government thinking, outlined in the ‘Clean Growth — Transforming Heating’ paper published in December 2018, shows that hydrogen is now a major consideration amongst other potential choices. Indeed, it has become evident that a single technology or fuel source is not a practical consideration for the decarbonisation of heat in homes, with a whole range of solutions needed to suit the UK’s existing building stock.

With the potential for pure hydrogen conversion seemingly earmarked for localised areas, it is worthwhile for housing providers to be aware of the trials and of advances in hydrogen technology. They can rest assured however, knowing that manufacturers are already working on developing firstgeneration hydrogen appliances and will be on hand to provide answers to any queries that may arise during the rollout of any hydrogen-ready appliances.

Off-grid homes In the UK there are around four million homes not connected to the gas grid. The increasing number of off-grid property developments is set to push this figure even higher, leaving some questioning how

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to heat these homes while working towards meeting our decarbonisation goals.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to heating system specification.

For housing associations and councils operating in off-grid areas, BioLPG, chemically indistinct to LPG, is a ‘clean’ fuel that can be used to heat homes while lowering carbon emissions. It is made from renewable crops and waste feedstocks, and offers a viable renewable energy solution for off-grid premises alongside other alternatives such as heat pumps.

Looking to the future With every change in legislation, policy and government targets, the housing sector must undergo significant revisions to ensure that it can adequately respond. Change will not happen overnight, but with the introduction of SAP 10 and the changes to Approved Document L of the Building Regulations looming, housing providers must be ready and prepare themselves for the impact that these might have on newbuild developments. Engaging with and understanding the implications of the Approved Document Part L consultation will be essential to determining the specification changes that designers will need to adopt when the new regulations come into effect.

The same is true for the future of fuel.

An increasing number of housing providers have already made the move towards low carbon, others would do well to ready themselves for the inevitable shift to nearzero carbon fuels too, as it will help ensure the homes they build are fit for the future.

Jeff House is Head of External Affairs at Baxi Heating ■ For more information on the heating requirements for new-build homes visit www.rdr.link/lk006

HEATING & PLUMBING ROUND-UP New electric storage water heater Ariston has added the new Velis Evo and Velis Evo Wi-Fi to its growing range of electric storage water heaters. Boasting a slim twin tank design for up to 16% more hot water availability, the units have a best in class ErP rating and are available in capacities of 45 and 80 litres. Designed for use in residential apartments and studios, the water heaters offer rapid reheat times. The Velis Evo Wi-Fi features Wi-Fi controllability, thanks to the Aqua Ariston Net app.

The energy efficiency credentials of the range are enhanced by Ariston’s ‘ECO EVO’ function — an electronic control with automatic learning software, which enables users to achieve energy savings of up to 14%; the equivalent to running an A+ rated fridge-freezer for approximately a year.

■ For more information on the Velis Evo range visit www.rdr.readerlink/lk007 The fast way to prevent condensate pipes freezing Invented and launched by heating engineer David Smith, Condensate Pro is said to be easyto-install and prevents condensate pipes freezing in low temperatures — a common cause of gas boilers malfunctioning or breaking down when they are really needed the most. Available in a convenient kit form so as to fit any installation (grate, rainwater soil pipe and soakaway), with specially designed UV/water resistant lagging and seal and bond adhesive, all products fit on to 32 or 21.5mm overflow pipes. It can be fitted in any weather, and there is no need for messy pointing with sand and cement either. The product can be maintained by applying the Maintenance Coat when periodically servicing the boiler.

■ For more information on Condensate Pro visit www.rdr.link/lk008 Hybrid heating for the modern home EHC offers a comprehensive range of electric products controlled by the DSR Technology Control System. Specifiers can select a hybrid heating solution from the range to suit various rooms in a property according to design styles and budget. All DSR Controlled Heaters are manually operated using the ‘easy to use’ Controller located on the heater. They also have Wi-Fi capability that can be activated when used with the optional DSR Smart Gateway, which allows heaters to be controlled anytime, anywhere 24/7 up to a maximum of 30 heaters using the company’s free bespoke APP. The DSR Control APP includes the ability to adjust each room temperature using the manual boost and limit electricity consumption to avoid exceeding the maximum power available. The DSR range of heaters offers partial heat retention via the internal storage tiles. They are designed to provide an even heat across the surface area of the heaters.

Time saving solution for heating and hot water installations Kilnwood Vale Primary School opened its doors to pupils in September.

The new-build school, which forms part of the GLF School Multi Academy Trust, has been a joint project between the school’s trust, Crest Nicholson and Wilmott Dixon to facilitate a new primary school in the county of Sussex. Several products from Pegler have been utilised for the heating and hot water service to the school including the new VSH PowerPress. The thick wall steel system offered flexibility and ease of fitting, delivering an installation programme that was time and cost efficient. This heat free press system negated the need for welding and hot works permits and provided a much cleaner and safer install.

■ For more information on the VSH PowerPress visit www.rdr.link/lk010 Cheshire West & Chester Council energy contract delivery partner As a leading local authority driving energy measures across their housing stock, Cheshire West and Chester Council has recently announced Aberla Renewables, part of the Aberla Group, as the successful delivery partner for one of the largest public sector solar PV tenders since the feed-in-tariff was scrapped back in April 2019. Following a formal tender process the energy specialist has been awarded the contract to install solar PV panels, battery storage and heating solutions across two large estates totalling over 180 council-owned homes. The work, valued at £500k, is part of the Low Carbon Housing Support Programme and has been jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). A spokesperson at Cheshire West & Chester Council stated: “Renewable technologies allow us to reduce our reliance on the grid, decrease our impact on the environment and also help to lower energy bills for our residents.”

■ For a copy of Raising the Standard visit www.rdr.link/lk011

■ For more information on the DSR range of heaters visit www.rdr.link/lk009

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Moores Linton kitchen range in Oak

Creating attractive kitchen spaces Affordable housing is experiencing an unprecedented level of change as the need to be able to offer a diverse range of tenures builds. As a result, local councils and housing associations are looking to suppliers that will offer up-to-date, long-lasting solutions without comprising on quality. Neil McDonald offers advice. itchens that are designed with longevity in mind are for more likely to appeal to housing associations as they offer a sustainable, long-term solution that makes the most of squeezed budgets. Well-made kitchens — such as Moores’ cabinets, which are glued, dowelled and then squared and set in a high-pressure press — require less maintenance and will last for many years, even with a potential high turnover of residents.

Special features to help future-proof a kitchen’s lifespan include a timeless design that can evolve, hard-working materials, and the robust backing of a guarantee. This is why Moores only specifies high quality, hardwearing door and carcase materials along with premium accessories such as Blum hinges. These are elements that reduce the need for replacements caused

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by the wear and tear of ‘cheaper’ solutions that ended up becoming costlier in the long-term. Sophisticated manufacturers will subtly integrate these features so that residents can enjoy an attractive space in their home with the extra design touches housing associations expect today.

design and environmental performance.

This means housing associations can rest assured that they are choosing a product that has passed rigorous testing procedures, such as ergonomic assessment and structural performance, and is also kind to the environment.

FIRA accreditation

Provide flexibility between tenures

There is an increasing importance for those working in the public sector to specify products that help meet a combination of strict industry sustainability codes, budgets and designs. A simple way to ensure a manufacturer is producing high quality and sustainable product choices is to look out for brands and products that are FSC and FIRA accredited. Moores, for example, holds FSC certification and many of our kitchens come with the FIRA Gold award, which recognises both high product quality and

The ability to differentiate between affordable rent, market rent, shared ownership and for sale is key. This is why many manufacturers have a good, better, and best brand structure, which enables tenures to be kept distinct from each other. The Moores Affinity range (good) offers choice and style with mass appeal and is ideal for rented tenures. Definitive (better) brings a stylish designer look that can work well in shared ownership and market sale properties.

result is a stylish but sustainable product solution that appeals to both the residents and the developer with minimal wastage. Affinity is our flagship range for affordable homes and has stylish, mass appeal for local councils.

Embrace open plan living Moores Aldbury kitchen range in Driftwood

Green credentials There are a number of ways a kitchen can be classed as sustainable — from material choices, through to manufacturing processes and the supply chain.

Companies that use locally sourced materials and manufacture the entire kitchen on site reduce the product’s carbon footprint, eliminating the need for long transportation processes. For example, we use a number of UK based suppliers close to our factory in Wetherby, as well as a MI cabinet specification

manufacturing process that is set up to optimise material and reduce waste.

A sustainable supply chain solution does not have to mean a compromise on overall product production, performance or design. Some kitchens in our Affinity collection for affordable homes use MFC (Melamine Faced Chipboard) doors. The MFC contains a high proportion of recycled material including our own chipboard waste, which is sent back to the manufacturer for recycling. The end

The desire for open plan living is spilling over into local authority design, especially as more households become multigenerational. And with that in mind, multigenerational occupiers should be a serious consideration for housing association developers. Patchwork families, intercultural communities, and multi-generational households are changing traditional models. The modern style is characterised by less conventional forms of cohabitation as well as a more conscious approach to the environment.

Reasons for multigenerational cohabitation can vary — from the rising cost of mortgages to grandparents opting to downsize. Overall, we are seeing that the traditional floorplan is changing in favour of more ‘community zone’ layouts with versatile living spaces.

With the growing trend for open-plan kitchens, a minimalist, sleek style is now important in the home. Make sure you incorporate plenty of storage solutions into the overall kitchen design to ensure clutter can be removed from the worktops and hidden away. A simple but effective design, in keeping with the rest of the home, ensures an efficient workflow and a beautifully stylish room.

We are also seeing a rise in ‘broken plan living’ in which distinct areas can be created by the use of different floor finishes, differences in floor levels and floating freestanding partitions, such as bookcases or a screen. This means that it is still possible to achieve the spacious feel that open-plan living provides, but creates a separation so that people can have their own space away from each other.

Neil McDonald is Design Manager at Moores For more information on the Affinity kitchen range visit www.rdr.link/lk012 For more information on the Definitive kitchen range visit www.rdr.link/lk013

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Renewing bathrooms in existing homes is a major part of housing refurbishment programmes for local authorities and housing associations. Bathrooms are also an important part of the specification on new-build schemes. Here Ann Boardman shares her top tips on getting it right first time with shower facilities.

Cubicles offer a self-contained, no-silicone, no-tile showering solution for bathrooms

Showering solutions hen working on bathroom refurbishment and new-build projects, the main considerations are no doubt cost, disruption, durability and product suitability for all ages and physical abilities.

The first thing specifiers need to do is carefully consider the choice of product.

My advice is to opt for shower cubicles rather than shower enclosures as they are more economically viable long-term for social housing providers, and also a good option for residents too.

The Kinedo range of shower cubicles from Saniflo, for example, can be up and running in less than a day with minimum disruption to the bathroom and residents, as there’s no need for tiling, grout or

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silicone. For refurbishment projects, Kinedo Kinemagic slots into the place where the old bath was, making the installation process straightforward. All shower cubicles in the range are designed with inclusivity in mind, which means they are safe and easy for everyone to use, with certain models featuring grab rails, seats and thermostatic showers catering for less mobile individuals.

Timber frame An increasing number of new-build properties are built using timber frame.

Timber frame buildings require special considerations, especially when it comes to the bathrooms, and in particular showers.

Timber changes naturally over time and can

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shift and warp, causing movement to the building. In the event of warping, traditional shower enclosures with tiles can be prone to cracking; meaning the enclosure is no longer watertight and more likely to leak.

This is why in timber frame constructions it is advisable to consider showers that do not require tiling, grout or silicone.

Easy installation North View Housing installed 13 Consort cubicles from the Saniflo Kinedo range to upgrade bathrooms in a number of its properties. Installer Jim Girdwood comments: “These units are very straightforward to install — we have a working, leak free shower up and running in under half a day. I’ve fitted many of

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these now and they are really a great choice for these properties — with no tiling or grouting and no silicone required they are practical and modern in style. With a single piece interior and the lightweight doors, it slots together very simply.”

River Clyde Homes specified the Saniflo Sanifloor shower pumps to facilitate a downstairs shower in 13 new homes, which will be installed in the event of a tenant becoming immobile. Jim Tedford, Site Manager, says: “Using the Sanifloor

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pumps saved us digging the floors back up to install new water pipes that may — or may not — be used in future to take water waste from a shower. It was a good idea to add the infrastructure in case tenants need a downstairs shower due to immobility issues and plumbing in the pumps was very straightforward and cost-effective.”

When selecting showers for refurbishment and new-build projects, it is important local authorities and housing associations choose the right partner, for example a company which designs, manufactures and tests in Europe. A supply chain partner with complete control over the process can maintain the highest standards of quality and service.

Ann Boardman is Head of Marketing and Product Development at Saniflo UK ■ For more information on Saniflo’s Kinedo range visit www.rdr.link/lk014

Introducing rdr.link

A new digital service for our readers

With a wide array of online resources supporting the latest solutions – from videos to technical guides, PDFs to Podcasts – it can be a challenge to locate what you need.

To ensure you don’t miss out on these valuable resources, we are introducing rdr.link – a new, rapid service to transport you immediately to the online resources mentioned in our stories.

So, in articles you may now see things like: “To view an exclusive time-lapse video of the process use rdr.link/AB101”

Simply enter rdr.link/ with the unique 5 digit code into a browser and it will take you directly to the mentioned resource – in this case the video.

Or, on other pages, you may notice: “For more new products & solutions use rdr.link/AB101” Just type rdr.link/AB101 into your browser and be transported to the products section on our website, packed full of new solutions.

Designed to help busy professionals rapidly locate more information – look out for & use rdr.link

THE TRADESHOW FOR PROFESSIONAL BUILDERS

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

Accessible bathroom for a person living with dementia - ‘before and after’ showing a mix of AKW ambient and task focused lighting

Putting lighting into practice Good lighting in any bathroom is essential for the avoidance of accidents, however in an accessible bathroom the need for safety increases dramatically. Here Stuart Reynolds discusses what ‘good lighting in an accessible bathroom’ looks like and how one local care organisation is ensuring that their bathrooms are well lit, to minimise falls and other accidents. hat is good lighting for accessible bathrooms?

For those with low vision or mobility issues, the avoidance of shadows, dark areas and glare is key to safe movement around a bathroom. With this in mind, a mix of ambient and narrow beam lighting is ideal. As to the types of lights and their positioning, AKW has worked with occupational therapists to create a simple to use guide on what to install and where, for maximum user benefit. In summary, the key points of the guide are: ● Include ambient lighting to maintain general light levels. Use LED ceiling lights as these provide shadow free illumination, ideal for those with visual

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impairment issues or those with dementia.

Include narrow beam LED downlights over specific ‘task-based areas’ such as the shower, bath, sink or toilet. Most LED downlights on the market have a beam angle of 60°, however for those with low vision or mobility issues, a specialist task light with a 30° beam angle is best.

AKW’s Task Focused Lighting Kit has been developed to help anyone looking to install lighting in an accessible bathroom. The kit contains everything needed for a standard sized bathroom, but additional items can be added for larger spaces.

Accessible bathroom lighting in practice in Manchester The Manchester Local Care Organisation is used to looking at community-based care differently and this approach has led to its Equipment and Adaptations Service taking an innovative approach to lighting two accessible bathroom refurbishments.

Working with AKW, the end results are spaces that not only look good and promote safety, but also are lit to maintain independence for many years to come.

Following talks with AKW, where the company’s new Task Focused Lighting Kit and ‘occupational therapist advised lighting guide’ were discussed, the team at the Equipment and Adaptations Service

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Accessible bathroom for a person living with visual impairment - ‘before and after’ showing a mix of AKW ambient and task focused lighting

decided to introduce the lighting to two of its up and coming bathroom refurbishments.

One was for a person with dementia in an owner-occupied property and the other was for a person living with visual impairment in a shared ownership property. However, the issues in each space were the same: accessibility needed to be drastically improved to ensure independence in the home for longer.

The feedback from both “properties relating to the

Taking a closer look at lighting

further refurbishments.

Traditionally lighting is one of the last things thought of when an accessible bathroom installation is undertaken. A standard IP65 LED Bulkhead fitting tends to be specified and this delivers a good level of ambient light throughout the space. Although this is sufficient for many bathroom installations, people with mobility issues, dementia or visual impairments need more tailored lighting to navigate and use the space easily.

With this in mind, the total refurbishment of both bathrooms not only included the replacement of baths with wet rooms, new tiling and flooring and accessibility features such as grab-rails and shower seats, but the lighting was also installed as per AKW’s Task Focused Lighting Guide recommendations.

This meant that in each space, the inadequate incandescent light bulbs were

replaced with one long lasting, bright (1764lm) ambient LED ceiling lights for general illumination. In addition five narrow beam (30˚) ceiling LED task lights were installed: three over the shower area and one over both the basin and toilet.

Andrew Wilmot, Regional Sales Manager at AKW explains further: “Good bathroom lighting needs to deliver adequate light levels for the user to perform a variety of tasks around the space. For those with low vision or mobility issues, the avoidance of shadows, dark areas and glare is key to safe movement. A mix of ambient and taskfocused LED lighting delivers highly energy efficient, shadow free illumination, making it

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lighting and contrasting tiles and floor covering has been overwhelmingly positive and we are looking to roll out the use of this lighting in

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ideal for those with visual impairment issues or those with dementia.”

John Roberts, Senior Technical Officer at Manchester’s Services for Independent Living, comments: “The overarching mission of The Manchester Local Care Organisation is to make a positive contribution to help people in Manchester live longer and enjoy better health than many do now. These two recent accessible bathroom installations are a great example of the work we do, as they have led to a dramatic improvement in bathroom accessibility for both occupants.

“As well as specifying high contrast tiles for both installations, to minimise any confusion when navigating around the space, we specified AKW’s lighting kit. The feedback from both properties relating to the lighting and contrasting tiles and floor covering has been overwhelmingly positive and we are looking to roll out the use of this lighting in further refurbishments.”

Stuart Reynolds is Head of Product and Marketing at AKW ■ To download a copy of AKW’s Task Focused Accessible Bathroom Lighting Guide, developed in conjunction with occupational therapists visit www.rdr.link/lk015

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS ROUND-UP

St Philips Care Group upgrades its bathrooms Cathedral Care Centre and Roxholm Hall Care Centre in Lincolnshire, Kippen House in the Perthshire Hills and Chestnuts Care Centre in Grimsby cater to a range of nursing and residential needs for those with mental health issues, dementia and other age-related conditions. The estates team at St Philips Care Group worked with AKW’s team of experts who developed a ‘bathroom pack’ of fixtures and fittings that could be installed throughout the estate and looked visually attractive, whilst offering the inclusivity, cost-effectiveness and longevity. The pack includes a raised height pan and cistern with a dark blue, ergonomic toilet seat and lid, a toilet roll holder and dark blue, hinged arm support rail and grab rails. In addition, a monobloc mixer tap has been specified with the sink for ease of use, incorporating a TMV3 valve.

■ For more information on AKW’s range visit www.rdr.link/lk016 Use of assistive technology in housing is receiving additional relevance According to Housing LIN, housing developers and providers can deliver enhanced benefits for residents by constructing more housing with care type properties. Toilet assistive technology manufacturer Closomat is urging that helpful fixtures are utilised to simultaneously deliver that independent living with care and reduce demand on healthcare services. The company’s wash and dry toilets feature integrated douching and drying triggered by user preference.

When the user remains seated and triggers the flush mechanism, the toilet flushes and simultaneously washes the user’s bottom, followed by warm air drying. It eliminates the need to wipe clean, and all its associated considerations of dexterity, balance, hand, body contact, potential urinal or faecal cross-contamination of hands, body or clothing or skin irritation caused by abrasive toilet tissue or residual dampness from wet wipes.

■ For more information on Closomat’s toilet range visit www.rdr.link/lk017 New comprehensive kitchen website Elfin Kitchens has launched an improved, redesigned and feature-packed website, showcasing the company’s full range of prebuilt, compact steel kitchens. The site has been designed with housing providers, landlords, building contractors and architects in mind. Visitors to the site can find comprehensive details of every kitchen Elfin has to offer, as well as information on the additions and accessories available. Plus, a newly introduced filter allows users to find the kitchen best suited to their needs by choosing from a range of different sizes, colours and features. This also allows for a quick and simple comparison of the different ranges (Entry, Economy, Economy Plus and Premium models), depending on the application. The website is further bolstered by dedicated sections containing FAQs and installation guides.

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Safe and hygienic grab rail range available

An Italian made range of grab rails for the healthcare sector is to be supplied by a leading UK based manufacturer of products that protect doors, walls and people across the healthcare, care home, education and leisure sectors.

Intastop now offers the Tubocolor range by Ponte Giulio; a renowned manufacturer of grab rails that are warm-to-the-touch, have antimicrobial protection and anti-slip credentials, bringing a new dimension of safety and infection control to more elements of building interior specification, in both new-build projects and refurbishments. The range benefits from ‘Biocote’ technology, which is said to kill, 80% of microbes within 15 minutes and 99.9% within two hours, and which will last the lifetime of the product. The Tubocolor range is available in a variety of colours suitable for dementia care.

■ For more information on the Tubocolor range visit www.rdr.link/lk018 New silent addition to shower range Triton has re-engineered its popular AS2000 range to be silent. Time in the shower is precious. The last thing anybody wants to think about is whether the noise of the pump is going to wake up their family or neighbours. This has been a key consideration in the development of the new AS2000SR, which has been awarded the Quiet Mark approval as a result of its low noise and high performance. Designed for low-pressure systems and ideally suited to the replacement market, the product provides continuous running performance with great flow rates of up to 14 litres per minute. It is fully thermostatic for precise control and has a maximum temperature stop to avoid any accidental exposure to uncomfortably hot water — ideal for families.

■ For more information on the AS2000SR shower visit www.rdr.link/lk019

ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION

Let there be light William McDowell discusses the role lighting, in particular rooflights, can play in helping local authorities deliver on their sustainability policies.

ooflights are a comparatively small element of roof configuration, but an inclusion or upgrade that can make a significant impact to a building’s sustainability. They can enhance energy efficiency, reduce operating/ running costs, and contribute towards low carbon strategies.

Whether a school, leisure centre, sports facility or even a local authority maintenance depot, rooflights can play a major role in the performance of the building — and the wellbeing of its occupants. That role can be played at all stages of a building’s life — new-build, fit-out or refurbishment/upgrade.

Older rooflights may have weathered in such a way that dirt and debris have lowered the light transmission to the extent that people may not even realise there are rooflights in the building. Yet well-specified replacement rooflights — be they in-plane or barrel vault — offer a comparatively simple means of helping achieve an energy-efficient new building, or upgrading an existing building.

For the first time, the contribution that rooflights make is quantifiable, specifically in relation to BREEAM. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) can contribute quantifiable points under BREEAM, whether new-build, fit out or refurbishment.

Rooflights with such an accreditation can contribute a tangible 1.5 points in the Materials (Mat 02) category. The

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quantifiable points are in addition to any benefits rooflights are already acknowledged to bring in terms of BREEAM’s Energy and Health and Wellbeing categories.

Increasing natural light Modern rooflights allow up to three times more daylight into a building than equivalent-sized vertical glazing/walllights, whether they are in-plane in pitched roofs, or barrel vaults in flat roofs. Advantages in rooflight insulation technology mean that they are more thermally efficient, further reducing operating costs. Bear in mind the Government has committed to the UK becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and schools alone account for some 2% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to 15% of the UK’s public sector emissions, with the average school energy costs estimated to be £27,000 per school per annum. Many buildings with rooflights have a high volume of internal, largely

unoccupied, areas — sports centres, swimming pools, market halls, shopping centres, depots.

Contemporary rooflights are at least double skinned with an outer weather sheet, internal liner panel, and a transparent insulating core in the middle.

As such, they can contribute towards a building’s thermal performance under

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Technological developments have resulted in new “variants that employ less resin in the manufacturing process, which helps achieve embodied carbon 40% lower than conventionally reinforced alternatives for the same strength and light transmission.

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Building Regulations Approved Document L, attaining a U-value as low as 0.9/m2K, and further reducing energy bills. Triple skin options further enhance thermal efficiency, but the additional layer means a corresponding reduction in light transmission.

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Why pay to heat empty space?

Use the building’s construction to help offset fuel bills. There has also been a change in the accepted lore as to the ratio between rooflight and roof area.

Historically, a 10% rooflight ratio was the ‘rule of thumb’. Independent studies

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maintain that this can be increased to 1520% for optimum performance and balance between light transmission, thermal efficiency and solar gain.

However, the optimum ratio will depend on a number of variables specific to the building and its use.

Longevity has also improved. Modern GRP rooflights can deliver a 30-year service life. Polycarbonate systems will typically achieve 15-20 years on average, according to the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers (NARM NTD09).

Developments in composition have enhanced rooflights as a sustainable solution, thus improving the ‘whole lifecycle’ costings that local authorities are being urged to consider. GRP does not emit any chemicals once installed, so is safe to use with grey water systems, and in green roof schemes. Technological developments have resulted in new variants that employ less resin in the manufacturing process, which helps achieve embodied carbon 40% lower than conventionally reinforced alternatives for the same strength and light transmission.

Polycarbonate too can be recycled. Using a cellulose acetate honeycomb material as an insulator will give lower embodied carbon and is biodegradable at end of life.

Rooflights are no longer ‘just a hole in the roof’. If nothing else, it is worth replacing old, discoloured rooflights with at least a new outer sheet. It makes sound sense whilst up on the roof, to upgrade single skin rooflights to at least an insulating double skin format. Depending on the roof, whether a refurbishment or new-build, the ratio between rooflight and roof area can be increased.

The ‘hole in the roof’ can be the key to ticking a lot of boxes in any sustainability, environmental and climate change policy.

It can play a key role in achieving BREEAM — and compliance with Building Bulletin 90 — in the £23bn of schools building pledged to be initiated by 2021.

William McDowell is National Business Development Manager – Rooflights at Hambleside Danelaw ■ For more information on Hambleside Danelaw’s range of rooflights visit www.rdr.link/lk020

ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION

Vapour control As Building Regulations demand ever-higher thermal efficiency, today’s buildings are becoming increasingly airtight. While this is undoubtedly beneficial for building energy performance, architects and contractors must understand the implications for moisture and vapour management when considering roofing membranes, as LABM finds out.

n the case of public buildings, student accommodation and housing association properties, best practice design will take a completely holistic approach considering the fundamental aspects of the building fabric, weather and level/type of occupancy, before overlaying these into the key performance criteria of heat, air and moisture.

BS5250 is the code of practice for condensation control, and includes the following reference in relation to design principles: ‘Design for the control of condensation depends upon obtaining a satisfactory relationship between air conditions (internal and external air temperatures and humidity) and the properties of the external

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elements of construction (thermal and vapour resistance).

The objectives should be as follows: Prevention of harmful surface or interstitial condensation; ● Prevention of mould growth; ● Economical reduction of nuisance condensation. ●

Condensation control should be considered part of the design process.

Successful control will depend on factors such as prevailing winds, room layout, number of storeys and type of heating system as well as the more usually accepted aspects such as construction, heating, ventilation and moisture

production. All these aspects, therefore, should be considered carefully and, as they are interdependent to a greater or lesser degree, they should be considered together.

The fundamental principle in designing to minimise condensation is to maintain a balance of the three factors: thermal and vapour properties of the structure, heat input and ventilation to achieve either low vapour pressure and/or high structural temperature.’

The building fabric, typical weather conditions and anticipated occupancy patterns and uses will all interact to define the moisture risks associated with the construction. These ‘ground rules’ form the basis of a good hygrothermal design

When specifying Roofshield there is no need to install any other type of roof ventilation or install a VCL

and defines a type LR (low water vapour resistance) and air permeable underlay as “underlay that has a water vapour resistance not more than 0.25MNs/g combined with an air permeability of not less than 20m3 /m2 h at 50 Pa which allows for the transfer of both water vapour and air”.

It is worth noting that when using a standard HR membrane (and there are a tremendous amount on the market) then it is standard practice to install roof ventilation to both the ridge line and the eaves of the roof and where required, due to the design of the roof, additional vent tiles.

When selecting a “membrane for a housing association the specification may be used across different regions of the UK and as such will require an underlay that can be used in all areas from a wind uplift point of view.

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Specifying membranes

strategy. Once an understanding of the building, weather and occupancy are achieved, the designer can then focus on ensuring the heat, air and moisture movement within the structure is properly balanced. This ensures both a healthy environment for the occupants of the building and long life for the building.

Understanding roofing underlays Essentially when considering roofing underlays or membranes these can be divided into two categories as determined by the British Standard for Slating and Tiling BS5534:2014 + A2:2018. The standard classifies underlays with a vapour resistance greater than 0.25MNs/g as type HR (high water vapour resistance),

When selecting a membrane for a housing association the specification may be used across different regions of the UK and as such will require an underlay that can be used in all areas from a wind uplift point of view. The UK is split into five separate zonal areas. Zones 1 to 3 cover the most of England and Wales whilst 4 and 5 cover Scotland and the outlying Islands.

It is important to check when specifying membranes where they can be used, as some can only be used in certain areas.

Roofshield from the A. Proctor Group, for example, is a high performing, roofing underlay, which is both air and vapour permeable and meets the criteria across all areas. The solution is both vapour and more importantly air permeable, as opposed to the standard breather underlays that are only vapour permeable.

When using Roofshield there is no need to gap the underlay at the ridge, install any kind of roof ventilation or indeed to use a VCL in the ceiling. All of which is recommended when using a standard vapour permeable membrane.

Moisture diffusion The other factors that should be considered and indeed minimised include moisture diffusion through the ceiling along with infiltration through unsealed openings and penetrations in the ceiling and services evaporating or venting moisture into cold spaces. This venting moisture means that there is a significant risk of interstitial condensation forming on the roof structure and on the underside of the underlay from where it may drip on to the insulation below.

Should the roof suffer from high levels of humidity then this could cause hygroscopic materials such as timber and timber-based products to absorb sufficient moisture to encourage the growth of moulds and the decay of structural members — not an issue when using Roofshield.

Also, when specifying this underlay there is no need to install any other type of roof ventilation or install a VCL, which therefore provides an additional costsaving. This completely removes the need to design-in soffit ventilators and airbricks to vent the roof space. Another factor is that as insulation levels increase, then by using Roofshield there is less risk of cold bridging occurring in the eaves of the roof.

In some instances, contractors may decide to gap the underlay at the ridge so that it becomes a ventilated system.

However, when Roofshield is used there is no need to gap the underlay, as the membrane is air permeable (approved by the NHBC). The advantage of this is that there is no danger of water entering the roof space during the roof installation.

Where standard breather membranes are used then a number of vent tiles will be necessary. These will be required in areas in order to create the necessarily suitable ventilation over and above the eaves ventilation. Where Roofshield is used no additional vent tiles are required.

With thanks to A. Proctor Group for preparing this article ■ For more information on Roofshield visit www.rdr.link/lk021

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ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION

It is important site workers have the correct health and safety training

It is important for building owners to recognise the risks associated with working at height. Tom Kerr runs through some of the factors that building owners need to consider to protect themselves and to ensure that those on site have the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out works safely.

Working at height orking at height can pose a real risk to operatives at all stages of a project — from when the initial roof survey and project scope is created, through to the completion of the project and any on-going maintenance. According to HSE research, working at height is the most common cause of fatal accidents to workers (26%) and ‘over 60% of deaths during work at height involve falls from ladders, scaffolds, working platforms, roof edges and through fragile roofs or rooflights’.

It is important for building owners and managers to ensure safety on site. Equally, the employer of the people working in site must ensure staff have the necessary credentials to attend the site and work safely, and have risk assessments in place to cover their activities.

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When working with third parties, consider the following: Does the company have a Safe Survey Policy?

Those managing the building should feel assured that fully competent individuals are carrying out any works at height, working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders and following protocol, to

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support a risk-free partnership.

Langley’s Safe Survey Policy is a good example of a best practice approach to this, as it provides clear guidance on the way any works will be planned, organised and ultimately carried out by its employees and associated third parties — and details the health and safety protocols to which their employees have to adhere.

Does the company have comprehensive health and safety training records?

It is important that building owners and managers ask for proof that individuals working on site have received the correct health and safety training, and are therefore, up to speed with the relevant practices — especially for working at height.

Recognised and formal training certifications include completing an IOSH (Institute of Occupational Health and Safety) course. It is important that courses such as this are supported by internal company training and completed regularly to ensure practices are up to date. Internal training should cover topics such as undertaking risk assessments, safely working at height, use of ladders, scaffolding and harnesses.

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Can the company prove their employees are competent?

According to the HSE: “A competent person is someone who has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist you properly.” The HSE also states that the complexity of the situation will determine the level of competence required for someone to complete a task. Due to the associated risks, it is important that those working at height be highly competent.

Although it is not a legislative requirement, it is important for individuals to hold a valid Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, which shows that the person has received the minimum training to work on a construction site.

For further reassurance, building owners and premises managers should look for third parties that hold accreditations such as the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS), SMAS, CCS, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and Safe Contractor. These indicate that a company not only cares for employee wellbeing, but that it is dedicated to raising its health and safety standards.

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Recognised and formal training certifications include completing an IOSH course

These aspects of health and safety should be considered before third parties enter site and start initial inspections — not only because building owners can be liable for the health and safety of those on site, but also to minimise risk.

It is important to work with third parties such as suppliers or contractors that have appropriate accreditation, memberships and stringent policies in place, and provide regular safety training to fully equip their employees with the correct qualifications. By doing so building owners can be confident that the necessary steps have been taken to reduce risk and therefore support a riskfree partnership throughout the project.

Tom Kerr is Sales Director at Langley Have the companies’ employees received all the relevant checks?

When working in premises such as schools or hospitals, any visitors working on site are likely to need a DBS certification. It is

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important that building owners and premises managers see proof of this. For example, all of Langley’s surveyors have advanced DBS checks and carry these when surveying.

■ To view Langley’s Health and Safety accreditations and association memberships, and to register to download its Health and Safety Datasheets visit www.rdr.link/lk022

ROOFING, CLADDING & INSULATION ROUND-UP

Longer length mineral wool insulation now available The Spacesaver and Spacesaver Ready-Cut insulation ranges are suitable for both new-build and renovation projects, with a declared thermal conductivity of 0.044W/mK that will help reduce heat loss within the building envelope.

Sarah Buchanan, Portfolio Manager for Roofs at Isover says: “The decision to increase the roll length of our Spacesaver and Spacesaver ReadyCut ranges came from feedback from insulation contractors. In conjunction with Spacesaver’s excellent roll recovery, strength and flexibility, we developed the longer roll lengths to make loft insulation work easier. The pallet size and number of rolls per pallet remains the same, but with changes in packaging there is now up to a third more product per pack, which means that contractors can transport more product to site and complete their jobs faster.”

■ For more information on the Isover Spacesaver range visit www.rdr.link/lk023 New pantile helps specifiers comply with planning and modern fixing standards Marley has launched a new pantile with a traditional profile that incorporates modern fixing methods for quicker and easier installation. The new tile will give architects and specifiers an authentic low pitch option when a traditional pantile is required for aesthetic or planning purposes. The pantile combines a traditional appearance with time saving features previously only seen on the company’s Lincoln interlocking tile, including a specially designed SoloFix channel to make BS 5534’s two point fixing easier, a flat back on the rear of the tile so it does not rock during installation and an enlarged nib for easier nailing. The new tile also has a low minimum pitch of just 22.5 degrees and is available in three colours.

■ For more information on the Eden pantile visit www.rdr.link/lk024 Façade brings new life to abandoned building A derelict building on the edge of Northampton city centre has been transformed

by Northamptonshire County Council into a striking 21st Century educational facility, thanks in part to mirrorpolished, perforated panels from Proteus Facades. The Proteus SC Perforated panels installed at Northampton International Academy cleverly mask the monolithic appearance of the original structure, whilst not completely hiding this brutalist piece of architecture. Reducing the perforation sizes from the middle of the façade to the top and bottom edges maximises translucency, whilst acting as brise soleil, providing shade from solar glare and preventing over-heating to the teaching spaces. The single skin perforated panels were manufactured from a sheet of 2mm Stainless Steel. The material also holds excellent corrosion resistant properties.

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New brick cladding extends options for architects and building designers The launch of the new StoBrick cladding for externally insulated building façades has expanded the range of design options available from Sto UK. Developed in response to a demand for a brick cladding solution for use with mineralfibre based insulation systems, it gives architects a far greater opportunity to incorporate genuine clay brick finishes into their façade designs, achieving the required A2-s1, d0 fire rating, with a wide range of textures, colours and sizes available. There are three types available — Hand-moulded, Water-struck and Extruded. A comprehensive range of more than 50 formats, 10 surface textures and 200 colour variants are available in the range. The cladding is also fully accredited to the A2-s1, d0 fire safety standard.

■ For more information on StoBrick visit www.rdr.link/lk026 Norwegian school surpasses stringent Swan environmental standards A new public school in Norway has become the first school to achieve the highly regarded Nordic Swan Eco-label. Situated on the outskirts of Oslo, the Sydskogen School passed the stringent environmental standards, which exceed those that are required of public buildings by local authorities in Oslo to create a building with an energy requirement that is 25% lower than conventional buildings in the Nordic region.

The architects selected Kebony wood for each of the building’s façades due to its strong environmental credentials and striking aesthetic quality. Kebony’s technology is an environmentally friendly and patented process, which modifies sustainably sourced softwoods by heating the wood with furfuryl alcohol. By polymerising the wood’s cell wall, the softwoods permanently take on the attributes of tropical hardwood including high durability, hardness and dimensional stability.

■ For more information on Kebony’s cladding range visit www.rdr.link/lk027

REFERENCE LIBRARY Ventilation specialist launches new website The new website from Airtech is packed with useful free resources to provide social housing providers, contractors, DLOs and residents with solutions to overcome condensation, mould and radon issues. Boasting new added functionality, the website offers visitors a guided route to find their individual solution for an enriched user experience. “Airtech’s new website offers a vault of resources providing local authorities and housing associations with a comprehensive source of information to refer to whenever there is a condensation, mould or radon problem in one of their properties. This includes information on legal disrepair, planned maintenance and responsive repairs,” says Jeremy Cleeter at Airtech.

The site features a comprehensive services section, including information on data downloads that can help with disrepair cases, condensation and mould surveys and treatment, plus ventilation installation and servicing.

■ www.airtechsolutions.co.uk A guide to reducing ligature risks A new guide on anti-ligature solutions in mental health and secure sectors is now available to download. A need has arisen for psychiatric wards, high-security units, and prisons to reduce ligature risks, which is currently accounting for 77% of suicide cases in the UK. Despite this alarming statistic, there is a lack of information on regulations and best practices. Contour’s new free to download guide covers key definitions, statistics, official guidance and advice on risk control. When planning the construction or refurbishment of a space within a mental health environment — or anywhere that occupies vulnerable individuals — it is essential that measures be put in place within the design process to reduce ligature risks. This document is aimed to educate anyone involved in the design and specification of a setting that is occupied by vulnerable individuals at risk of suicide or self-harm.

■ To download a copy of A Guide to Anti Ligature visit www.rdr.link/lk028 Commercial Colour Schemer Tool available Dulux Trade has upgraded its Colour Schemer tool to make exploring colours and visualising schemes in commercial environments even easier and more effective. The online tool is designed to allow specifiers to create professional branded moodboards. Tailored to individual sectors — from education to healthcare — it enables users to review and adapt a range of colour schemes created by colour experts at Dulux Trade. Schemes are created around a chosen start colour, such as flooring or furnishings already in place, or simply a preferred wall colour. The software then renders a colour scheme within the selected image and the start colour or co-ordinating shades can be swapped in and out, or viewed in different images, until the desired outcome is achieved. The resulting moodboards can be saved and shared as PDFs or accurately colour printed

by Dulux Trade and delivered to site.

■ To use the Dulux Trade Colour Schemer visit www.rdr.link/lk029

Leading construction body launches work at height guide CONIAC (the Construction Industry Advisory Council) has produced a guide entitled ‘Safety Steps’, designed to help anyone looking to ensure safe work at height. The guide is aimed primarily at five key work at height audiences: designers, clients, managers (those who manage work at height), supervisors and operatives. It has been produced by the ‘Managing Risk Well’ Group, a leading safety group within CONIAC. ‘Safety Steps’ covers general, rather than taskspecific, messages (e.g. using scaffolding, mobile work platforms or working on roofs), however its essential messages underpin any type of work at height activity. The guide provides the key messages in one place, making it a valuable, longterm reference point for industry.

■ To download the guide visit www.rdr.link/lk030 New On-site Solutions publication released NAPIT’s new publication On-site Solutions – Practical Solutions to Electrical Installations in accordance with BS 7671:2018 is now available. The guide features useful solutions for: surge protection devices, smart home installations, RCD selection, consumer unit considerations, designing circuits, safe isolation of electrical supplies, inspection, testing and certification and documentation. It also covers the main requirements of the Building Regulations associated with electrical installation work in England and Wales, as well as relevant Health and Safety legislation.

The publication features input from a range of supporting individuals and organisations. NAPIT’s Group Chief Executive, Mike Andrews says: “We hope both individuals and organisations, who are professionals and experts in their field, find On-site Solutions a helpful and trustworthy guide.”

■ To download a copy of the guide visit www.rdr.link/lk031

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Coming up in the January/February issue of LABM… ©Ian/AdobeStock

NEW FEATURE ● International perspective: LABM takes a look at exemplar public sector and social/affordable housing schemes across the world and discusses how we can apply the best practice thinking behind them on UK projects.

efficiency and performance of planned and responsive maintenance services.

HEATING & ENERGY EFFICIENCY

HOUSING & REGENERATION ● Guidance on how councils and housing associations can improve the

● The latest heating solutions designed to make existing homes and newbuild properties more energyefficient, offering advice on how councils and housing associations can help alleviate fuel poverty within their communities.

VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT ● The World Health Organisation reports that millions of people in Europe spend over 90% of their time indoors. It is therefore not surprising that buildings underpin our physical and mental wellbeing. Here we explore how both social housing and adequate ventilation can help solve the UK’s housing crisis.

Advertisement index Aico Limited ............................................................(inside front cover) BMI UK & Ireland .....................................................................(page 43) Fernox Alpha Fry Limited .....................................................(page 25) Grant UK ....................................................................................(page 28) Harrison Thompson & Co Limited ......................................(page 47) Kingspan Insulation Limited ..................................................(page 15) James Jones & Son ..................................................................(page 7) LABM Online .......................................................................(back cover)

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Nuaire Limited ..........................................................................(page 21) Pro Builder Live ........................................................................(page36) Rdr.link .......................................................................................(page 35) Saniflo Limited ..........................................................................(page39) SAV Systems ..............................................................................(page 9) The Electric Heating Co Limited ...........................................(page21) Wilo (UK) Limited ....................................................................... (page 4)

GUEST COMMENT

Social mobility Alan Long, Executive Director at Mears Group, says the housing sector needs to shout about its work on social mobility. ears Group is very proud to have been listed in the top 75 UK employers who have taken the most action to improve social mobility in the workplace. The Social Mobility Employer Index was developed in consultation with, and following feedback from social mobility experts and major employers. Employers entering the Index do so free of charge and voluntarily.

Looking at the list I am somewhat saddened to see our colleagues from across the housing sector not better represented. The list includes major banks, auditors, government departments and law firms amongst others. Knowing our sector I know how social mobility runs throughout all of our companies — in fact the housing sector in my view is perhaps the most energetic believer in social mobility.

Last year, Mears employed over 650 apprentices, plus 45 Management Apprentices. We are working to increase the number of women in the sector through our Tradeswomen into Maintenance project and our adult education programme enables our colleagues to upskill and also members of the local community who are long-term unemployed.

These actions will be familiar to other companies working in the sector, so why does the sector hide its light under a bushel? For me it is perhaps a question of data collection and analysis. Those companies on the list will have teams of analysts tracking all aspects of social mobility. The sector as a whole needs to

better understand and measure its progress to be able to show its successes.

We are working to “increase the number of

Opportunities and skills development

women in the sector through our Tradeswomen into Maintenance project and our adult education programme enables our colleagues to upskill and also members of the local community who are longterm unemployed.

Another factor may be cultural. We in housing get on with the job — not least because of a well-developed understanding of social value but also because we work directly in communities — our colleagues are from their local community and it drives us to a better understanding of what opportunities and skills development those communities need. The index measurements include: ● Working with young people — wellevaluated programmes that reach beyond the doorstep of the office to all of the country’s talent, and which provide routes into the employer/profession for those that have the interest and aptitude. ● Routes into work — well-structured nongraduate routes that provide genuine parity of esteem and comparable progression to graduate ones. ● Attraction — innovative ways of reaching beyond graduates of the usual five to ten universities many top employers focus their efforts on. ● Recruitment and selection — evidence that the employer removes hurdles that will disproportionately affect those from lower socio-economic groups and is moving to a system that judges potential rather than past academic performance or polish. ● Data collection — rigorous analysis of the profile of the workforce and of measures taken to improve its diversity.

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Progression, culture and experienced hires — effective strategies that help those from lower socio-economic groups get on rather than just get in.

Internal/external advocacy — action to get more of their staff involved in efforts to improve social mobility and to get suppliers/peer firms to also take action.

Which of these can our sector honestly say they do not do? Whilst better data and measurement need to improve we should not take it for granted that the housing sector is at the forefront on social mobility, we should all shout loud and proud about what we do. www.mearsgroup.co.uk

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