In today’s news in UKconstructionblog, we will look into the UK’s leading producer of tissue, Accrol, who leased a new logistics building to expand their business in Lancashire Business Park near Leyland. Grange Paddocks won a regional award for construction excellence. The construction industry’s “dirty image” needs to be improved, together with improved career counselling, in order to close the skills gap that currently exists in the industry. Residents of Northampton Council apartments who live underneath a construction site will each receive roughly £1,000 in compensation for “disruption.â€�

Leading UK tissue maker moves into Lancashire Business Park unit

Original Source: Leading UK tissue producer moves into new unit at Lancashire Business Park

Lancashire-based Accrol leased a new logistics building to expand their business.

Lancashire Business Park near Leyland has handed over its new building.

The 68,000-square-foot structure is near to their major manufacturing unit in Farington, Lancashire. It has solar panels and EV charging outlets for the changing business landscape and green agenda.

Accrol makes toilet paper, kitchen towels, facial tissue, and biodegradable wet wipes.

More than 75 of Accrol’s 400 employees are in Leyland, and the company’s investment in the facility is a vital step in its growth, says CEO Gareth Jenkins.

“This new warehouse allows Accrol to better serve its growing base of prominent retailers.” As the UK’s largest private label toilet roll and kitchen towel supplier, we’re continually improving.

“I’m delighted that this new facility generates electricity in keeping with our environmental objective as we march toward carbon neutrality.”

Lancashire County Developments Limited owns the business park (LCDL).

LCDL vice-chair Matthew Maxwell-Scott said: “We’re happy to help Accrol grow by giving them a bigger unit in our business park.” “When companies stay here, it means we’re satisfying their needs and providing a terrific location.”

The Eric Wright Group of Bamber Bridge built it under the county’s Strategic Partnership Agreement.

The economic development cabinet member, Aidy Riggott, said: “The county council prioritises supporting local firms, especially during expansion.” Our collaborative relationship with local companies helps promote local jobs and prosperity in the county. “

More space and facilities are planned for the business park.

Grange Paddocks wins regional award

Original Source: Grange Paddocks scoops regional building award

Grange Paddocks won a regional award for construction excellence.

The new leisure centre will compete in the national finals of the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Awards in January.

The awards honour technological innovation and construction delivery, raising the quality of construction in England and Wales. Winners are chosen based on partner collaboration, creative problem-solving, sustainability, and diversity.

Grange Paddocks will celebrate its first anniversary next month after a “wonderful” year, said East Herts Councillor Eric Buckmaster. We kept the construction process on track through the epidemic, and the quality will last for decades. I wish the team luck in the national finals.

Willmott Dixon, Saunders Boston, East Herts District Council, Varsity Consulting, and Hertfordshire Building Control worked on the project.

Fixing the building skills shortfall with improved career guidance and cleaning up its image

Original Source: Fixing the construction skills shortage with better careers advice and improving the sector’s ‘dirty image’

Better school careers advice and reducing the industry’s “dirty image” are vital to fixing the building skills gap, according to a new report.

UK Construction Week Birmingham surveyed over 1,100 architects, engineers, housebuilders, installers, joiners, contractors, and consultants on construction skills shortage solutions.

UK Construction Week Birmingham returns on October 4, 2022.

This year’s UKCW Birmingham will be launched by Channel 4’s George Clarke. Over 6,000 products from 300 exhibitors will be shown.

Net zero, building materials, digitalization, infrastructure, surface and materials, offsite construction, skills and vocations will also be covered.

The survey highlighted long-term strategy and early education.

Over a quarter (26%) of respondents thought ‘better career guidance at school/college to create a more attractive picture of construction to young people’ was the solution, while 24% said ‘a long-term strategy to attract and retain talent, not simply a short fix’ was.

Young people consider the construction industry to be “dirty work” (23%), lack of career counselling (19%), and male-dominated (15%).

Other survey results addressed cost increases and the future of building.

Lack of employer training support (18%), poor career advice (18%), and lack of funds (17%) hampered construction workers’ advancement.

57% of respondents said the skills gap had deteriorated or kept the same in the last two years, citing “the big resignation,” uncertainty, and extended lead times and rising materials and product costs as the main culprits.

Respondents stated the nicest aspects about building are the tangible results (25%), acquiring new skills (20%), and no two days being alike (15%).

84% of respondents claimed flexible/hybrid working is currently a possibility in their employment, with the main reasons for the 16% who don’t being ‘not practical – we need to be on site at all times’ (52%), ‘the directors don’t like it’ (18%), and ‘it’s never been discussed’ (16%).

When asked what the construction industry’s workforce will look like in 2050, the most frequent replies were “a more diverse/female workforce,” “more AI,” “more mechanisation/robotics,” and “it will be more lucrative and attractive to graduates.”

Industry voices applaud solutions to the construction skills problem.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street will speak at the NEC. He commented on the construction skills shortage survey. Construction will play a major role in supercharging our region’s economic revival. Many young people—and local job searchers of all ages—have recognized that joining this profession can offer a fascinating, practical, and well-paid career path.

“The survey shows that we need to shift perceptions and showcase the positive side of this burgeoning sector, which will impact the West Midlands for years to come.” I intend to stimulate interest in construction by working with the industry and other bodies like CITB, to connect local residents with wonderful opportunities and to ease the skills gap in the sector.

The industry needs more workers.

CITB CEO Tim Balcon said, “We welcome this insight, which emphasises the struggle to attract and retain personnel and to overcome the skills gap.” We need industry-wide collaboration to boost the talent pipeline and increase the number of people joining and staying in construction.

Northampton council apartment residents to get over £1,000 each after ‘disruption’

Original Source: Northampton council flat residents living underneath building site to be given nearly £1,000 each following ‘disruption’

Council apartment dwellers living under a building site will collect nearly £1,000 each for “disruption.”

Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH), the council’s housing provider, has pledged to pay £980 to each of the 15 occupants on the top floor of the under-construction Woodstock building in Billing Road.

Winston Williams, NPH’s head of asset management, claimed homeowners were told to leave their homes for two weeks during the Woodstock extension’s planning phase.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service later ruled it safe for occupants to stay in their flats during repairs, so they did.

He said: “We promised people a goodwill payment to cover their time away, and they may have planned to use it for alternative housing. We’ve decided to honour this offer, which is £980 per top-floor resident.

“We expect completion early next year. We appreciate the patience of Woodstock residents, especially those on the top floor.

Delapre and Rushmere councillor Emma Roberts said she was “extremely thrilled” to help get the goodwill payment.

Her words: “Happy to help.” I’m glad NPH prioritises resident safety. I’m pleased with NPH’s work. I’m glad NPH will continue to financially and otherwise help them, and I hope it monitors the situation closely. “

NPH got plans approved in 2019 to develop two further levels at Woodstock with 10 one-bed flats to “contribute to the town’s social housing stock by building upwards rather than outwards.”

Summary of today’s construction news

Generally, we have discussed Accrol, the UK’s leading tissue producer, who leased a new logistic building for the expansion of their business, and they moved into the 68,000-square-foot structure in Lancashire Business Park near Leyland.

The Grange Paddocks was selected as the regional winner of an awards competition that recognises exceptional initiatives in the building and construction industry.

Improving career guidance in schools and cleaning up the “dirty image” of the construction industry are both essential steps toward closing the skills gap in the industry, according to a survey.

Residents of council flats who live underneath a construction site will each get roughly £1,000 to compensate for “experiencing inconvenience” as a result of the construction.