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Dialogue continues after Ministerial meeting with SNIJIB in Northern Ireland as DfE pushes ahead with plans for Traineeship plumbing qualificationsThe serious concerns about training in the plumbing and heating sector in Northern Ireland will continue to be addressed after a high-level Ministerial meeting in the Legislative Assembly this week (October 6) attended by the Scotland and Northern…

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Can you get a mortgage without a structural warranty?For anyone building or converting a new home, it’s recommended for the builder to purchase a structural warranty before construction even begins. This insurance policy will legally protect the homeowner if structural defects are discovered during the first several years after completion.

Even the best of builders can’t always…

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Influential trade association SELECT has joined the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) to warn that all heat, smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms being fitted under new legislation must comply with the relevant product standards. The leading bodies’ joint alert about sub-standard and potentially unsafe products comes as the February 2022 deadline for compliance with new Scottish Government guidance for all Scottish homes gets ever nearer. The warning also echoes guidance from SELECT and SCOTSS about what householders and landlords should do to comply with the new rules – and why they should use a competent person, such as a professional electrician, to carry out any necessary installation work. SCOTSS Chair, Graeme Paton, said: “This …

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Day two of UK Construction Week (5-7 October) – the country’s largest built environment event – saw another busy day packed full of the latest innovations and products, networking opportunities and specialist seminars, gathering some of the best industry professionals all under one roof. Today’s theme was Wellbeing, which for many is more important than ever since the pandemic began. This theme focused on the crucial issues of diversity, health and wellbeing in construction, including mental health, and what can be done to tackle these both as businesses, and as individuals. Key highlights from day two’s line up included a keynote presentation by Richard Lee OBE, chief people officer at Willmott Dixon. There was …

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Eight ambitious local businesses from Dumfries & Galloway, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire participate in hub South West’s 12th Building for Growth programmeEight ambitious companies from southwest Scotland are taking part in the latest highly successful hub South West, Building for Growth (BfG) programme which, over eight weeks, empowers them to learn from business experts, develop relationships…

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Eight ambitious companies from southwest Scotland are taking part in the latest highly successful hub South West, Building for Growth (BfG) programme which, over eight weeks, empowers them to learn from business experts, develop relationships with non-competing peer businesses, and engage directly with Tier 1 Contractors. hub South West, the well-established public-private partnership of local authorities, NHS, blue light services and numerous leading construction industry Tier 1 building contractors, is guiding the eight industry-related businesses in their quest to win more, high-quality work from Tier 1 contractors undertaking projects in the region. The eight participating businesses are: Parker Technical Services from Uddingston, Airdrie’s Claymore Training, Anderson Property from Hamilton, Emtec Group from Kilmarnock, and Dumfriesshire based businesses James G Findlay, Shaw Contract …

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UK Construction Week opens with big splash on sustainabilityThe first major construction industry event since lockdown has opened its doors, welcoming thousands of determined buyers and built environment professionals catching up on two years of innovation, policy advances and new product development.

UK Construction Week runs until Thursday (7 October) at the NEC in Birmingham. As well as…

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New report shows construction industry claim £400m in R&D tax creditsHMRC’s annual report for research and development (R&D) tax credit claims for the year 19/20 found the construction industry claimed back £400m, with 6,015 claims submitted.

Construction R&D claims have risen from the previous year which is consistent with the trend which has occurred over the last few…

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HMRC’s annual report for research and development (R&D) tax credit claims for the year 19/20 found the construction industry claimed back £400m, with 6,015 claims submitted. Construction R&D claims have risen from the previous year which is consistent with the trend which has occurred over the last few years. In fact, since the 14/15 financial year when the cash tax benefit of R&D claims in construction was approx. £35 million, the value of construction claims has risen by more than 1,000%. A total of 85,900 claims throughout all industries were made overall up until 31 March 2021. This figure will continue to rise as the 19/20 claims window remains open until March 2022. With regards to other sectors in the report, taking top spot with number …

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UK’s biggest energy suppliers in need of rescue packages to take on customers of failed rivalsThe UK has been shaken by the recent news of the energy market crisis. The main reason for the crisis is that wholesale prices of gas have increased by 250% since January, and by 70% since August. This has already put ten energy suppliers out of business. When a supplier fails, Ofgem appoints…

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