As BuilderScrap’s head office is situated on the Wirral we took a very keen interested in Peel’s proposed regeneration project which will see Wirral be dragged into the 21^st century.

We are very pleased that it has overcome its final hurdle, with the government deciding not to call in the £4.5bn Wirral Waters planning application from Peel Holdings, giving final approval to the 17 million sq ft regeneration scheme.

Developer Peel says the scheme, is the largest regeneration project in the UK and will create 20,000 jobs over a 30-year period. It was approved by Wirral council in August, but has had to wait for secretary of state Eric Pickles to confirm whether or not it will receive further scrutiny from central government.

Peel hit out at the planning system, which has seen the scheme take four years to get approval.

Lindsey Ashworth, the firm’s development director, said: “The ridiculous ’black hole’ of a planning system that we have had to suffer in the UK for more years than I can remember is finally starting to show signs of common sense.”

“The planning shackles that have been holding back progress and job creation are being loosened at long last. Wirral Waters being granted planning permission is a great win for everybody.”

Peel said the scheme would be built out when the “recession allowed”, which it estimated would be 2012 at the earliest.

We hope Peel with such a large product will manage their surplus products and left over construction materials responsibly. We look forward to see how the project progresses.

According to the Federation of Master Builders cutting VAT on domestic repairs and maintenance work would bring the 1 million empty properties across the UK back into use.

If they were able to turn these currently empty properties into homes it would take a lot of pressure off the growing housing crisis which has to cope with five million people on the social housing waiting list with a further 90,000 living in temporary accommodation.

Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at the FMB said: “Recent research commissioned by the FMB from the London School of Economics reveals that there is capacity within existing towns and cities to create all the new homes the UK needs and that reusing empty properties is one of the instruments to help fulfil this aim. “

“However, the current rate of VAT is acting as a disincentive for owners of unused properties to bring them back into use. Often it is cheaper to simply demolish and rebuild as new build is VAT exempt.”

Berry concluded: “Cutting VAT on domestic maintenance and repairs would not only mean many empty properties are brought back into use but would help boost an ailing construction industry by helping to create much needed jobs and apprenticeships for young people. Communities would also benefit too as getting rid of neglected properties would help create better local environments by helping to reduce crime and create demand for local services.”

“With house building at its lowest level since 1924 bringing empty homes back into use is a sensible way to help meet housing needs of every community around the UK and cutting VAT on domestic maintenance and repairs would make sure that this happens.”

The team here at BuilderScrap are always frustrated when hearing about buildings or construction materials not being used to their full value. Approcximatelty14% of the UK’s 120 million tonnes of construction waste generated each year is surplus brand new material, which equates to roughly 16.8 million tonnes. Currently these materials are recycled or sent to landfill without ever being used. By using this material for its intended purpose with in maintenance or empty properties environmental, social and financial benefits could be made.

At BuilderScrap we attempt to facilitate this through both our open house online exchange platform as well as our managed service pilot scheme launching December 1^st. This service seeks to identify and segregate surplus materials and redistribute these materials into charities and community project via a transition yard. This will enable charities and community projects to benefit from these materials for free or a heavily reduced cost.

If you know of any projects in the North-West that would benefit from this initiative please call is on 0844 225 300. Thanks.

This article was sourced from Construction Now.

At BuilderScrap we always looking at the listings for surplus building materials which our members post on the website.

We have been looking at this in more detail lately, and I have written this blog to help our users to get the most out of their listings.

The main feedback we have had is that people are much more willing to respond to a listing with a photograph of the building materials available.

Unsurprisingly free building materials have a higher response than ones being charged for! However, it is so important to put a cost on your item regardless, as many members have commented on this. If you are flexible on price ,O.N.O next to the price will make people more receptive to your listing.

A description should be fairly short and only include relevant information such as; size, age of item and current quality of the item. Include any words which people may search for when looking for this particular item.

An Example of Perfect Listing:

Name: Jacobean Brick

Description: Quantity 113, Colour – Buff, Depth – 65mm, Surplus – Never used

Cost: £30 O.N.O

Photograph:  

Everyone involved in the construction supply chain can now experience the benefits associated with BuilderScrap through the launch of a new Supply Chain Membership.

The BuilderScrap Supply Chain membership allows members of the supply chain to demonstrate their support for the reuse agenda and the BuilderScrap initiative, and provide a solution for their clients’ surplus construction materials.

Brendon Kenny of BuilderScrap commented ‘with sustainability, providence and supply chain waste management policies all becoming part of the tendering process for a lot of businesses, BuilderScrap offers a viable offering that can help alleviate the pressure on business when dealing with the management of reusable construction materials; a vital part of any sustainability programme.’

BuilderScrap has partnered with  Constructing Excellence Wales, to launch  a dedicated Welsh BuilderScrap platform on November 13th.

Karin Black, Waste Strategy Advisor for the Welsh Assembly Government said: “The rhetoric about waste reduction has gained momentum in recent years, but real alternatives have relied largely on the commitment of individual contractors and educated clients. The agreement with CEW to take up the challenge of supporting a significant diversion of materials from landfill by deploying the BuilderScrap materials reuse platform is a major step in the right direction. This is the first government backed initiative of its type in the UK and is pivotal to CEW’s’ ongoing strategy to reduce the waste generated by the construction industry.”

By choosing to work with BuilcerScrap as we  already have an established materials reuse platform, CEW has saved both time and valuable resources in creating the initiative which was launched on 13th November 2010 at the The Federation of Master Builders Annual Conference in Swansea.

I have scoured the internet and found a number of interesting buildings from around the globe, every week I’m going to show you my favourite 3 from the week, here’s this weeks three.

Crossword Apartment Building – Ukraine

As I’m a little bit geeky I got all excited about this building, you can find this building in Lov, Ukraine. The thing I found quite exciting about it is that there is actually 45 questions located at various points of interest around the city. So if you’re ever in the Ukraine and wanted a little fun family (as long as you or a family member can read Ukrainian) you only have a day though as when the sun goes down, the fluorescent letters of the completed puzzle appear. Amazing!

Citadel Floating Apartment Complex – Netherlands

Designed by Koen Olthuls of the Dutch firm Waterstudio, this project was meant to coexist with the fluctuating water levels in the Netherlands. This building is a staggering 60 apartments that have been built atop a slab of floating concrete and use 25% less energy than a conventional building on land, that’s down to the use of water cooling techniques.

Forest Spiral – Germany

Built in Darmstadt, Germany, this building, designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, contains 105 apartments, a parking garage, a café and a bar. The inner courtyard contains a playground and a small artificial lake. The diagonal roof hosts a garden that rises up the 12 floors at its highest point.

Construction Materials supplier Jewsons have launched a free Sustainable Building Guide.

The free guide will be 62 pages and will give basic information on current legislation as well as upcoming legislation that will affect the construction industry. It will also include government incentives and sustainable products and practices.

Speaking at the launch at BRE, Watford, Peter Hindle MBE, managing director of Jewson said: “The key to greening our buildings is to give our clients the advice, support and training they need to build more sustainably”.

BRE chief executive Peter Bonfield said: “Builders’ merchants have an important role in ensuring customers make the right choices.”

On top of that Jewson is expected to open its Greenworks Training Academy in just under a month. The academy will be kitted out with rooms set for wet and dry work, an elevated drainage pit and low level roofing rig.

BuilderScrap are very pleased with the commitment Jewson has shown to being sustainable as a lot of emphasis has to be on the construction materials supplier to ensure a sustainable construction industry and they should also ensure materials are not recycled before used or thrown to landfill by supporting BuilderScrap and giving their customers a way of sourcing builders surplus and supply.

Previous government numbers have over-estimated the growth of the construction industry according to a revision of the numbers by the office for National Statistics (ONS); they admitted the construction industry grew less than previously though in the three month to June.

Originally the ONS said construction output rose 6.8% in the second quarter from the first three months of 2010 – down from the 9.6% it estimated before.

The revision for the sector, which accounts for 6.3% of all UK output, could shave 0.2% off the second quarter GDP growth number of 1.2%.

This backtrack came as construction materials producers found that Government construction output figure didn’t match the sluggish behaviour of aggregates, asphalt, cement and ready mixed concrete sales.

However material sales have improved in the third quarter of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009.

Aggregates, cement and ready mixed concrete were 3%, 9% and 6% higher respectively than last year. But 2009 was a historic low point so any uplift need to be regarded as an inevitable growth rather than a sustainable growth.

The Government previously published data indicating that construction output increased by 10% in the second quarter and a further 4% in the third quarter, underpinning the stronger than expected GDP growth figures of 1.2% and 0.8% recorded in the second and third quarters.

These official figures indicate that the level of construction output in the UK is now at an all time high but the Mineral Products Association said “nothing could be further from the truth.”

MPA Executive Director, Simon van der Byl, said, “Everyone needs to take great care in interpreting construction related data for 2010 to date.”

“Firstly the figures only reflect a welcome comparative improvement and secondly the 21% cut in public investment set out in the Comprehensive Spending Review will mean substantial reductions in construction sectors such as health education and roads and will put huge pressure on local authority spending.”

“These negative pressures are likely to outweigh what will probably be a slow and uneven recovery in housing, commercial and other private sector construction over the next two years.”

“In the longer term the private sector and infrastructure projects should deliver strong construction growth, but prospects for 2011 look very depressed.”

“The possibility that many construction materials sectors and construction in total may experience a double dip recession during 2011 and beyond cannot be ruled out.”

BuilderScrap is continuing to keep your up to date as the story unfolds about the shock of Rok construction going into administration.

Now they have been forced to lay off 711 of the firm’s 3,800 staff following an initial review of the business.

The majority of the job losses, 558, were in the firm’s maintenance and improvements business. Of the rest, 82 were in the construction business, 69 in the Scottish plumbing heating and electrical business, with only two from head office.

Rok collapsed into administration on Monday with bank debts of £70m after its principle banker, HSBC, refused to extend further credit. PwC was appointed administrator. All staff have been briefed on the job cuts, with further cuts dependent upon whether buyers are found for the firms businesses.

Staff affected by the cuts will only be guaranteed payment up until today. Other staff will continue to be paid.

Mike Jervis, partner and joint administrator, PwC said the redundancies had been made in areas where there had been “little or no interest in the business from prospective purchasers” or where there was insufficient work for existing staff to carry out. He said the maintenance and improvements division would be rationalised to slim down areas where there is not enough work for employees, principally in the build division.

He said: “We have set up an employee relations helpline and every employee affected by the redundancies has had the opportunity to attend a site in person or take part in a conference call. We are working closely with employees affected by this decision to ensure they receive the support they need during this difficult time to assist with their claims for redundancy and other compensatory payments.

“On a positive note, we have had over 100 expressions of interest in the business and we are currently reducing this to a shortlist. There are still national contractors interested in all divisions, as well as parties interested in individual divisions. We are short-listing bidders on the basis of their size, level of interest in acquiring large parts of the business and their speed of reaction.

“We expect to have further updates by the end of the week.”

This article was sourced from building.co.uk

To read the other articles regarding the Rok administration click the links below;

http://blog.builderscrap.com/2010/11/industry-shook-by-rok-administration/

http://blog.builderscrap.com/2010/11/rok-competitors-pick-apart-company/

Many contractor have began targeting profitable parts of the Rok construction but the administrator has implied that it would be of better to sell the company as a whole.

More than 50 companies have expressed an interest in acquiring all or parts of collapsed contractor Rok’s business.

It is understood a number of contractors are interested in “cherry picking” Rok’s profitable businesses, encompassing its social housing, contracting and insurance response services, but sources close to Rok’s administrators said the priority was to see all parts of the business sold as a single entity.

The source said: “You achieve better rates when selling large proportions of a business to a single buyer so there is a need to prioritise securing a bigger deal. If bigger players don’t want all of the company then you look at selling off on a divisional basis or if needs be even an office basis.”

Mears has already expressed an interest in taking on Rok’s social housing division although it is understood Leadbitter and Kinetics are also in discussions with the administrator.

Insiders expect an announcement on the future of the business this week.

The source added that Rok’s profit warning in August was “pivotal” to its collapse. He said:“It meant credit got tighter for the company and led to a dip in confidence among clients. Against the backdrop of the current economic uncertainty and dips in public sector work, which accounts for 55% of group turnover, things spiralled down quickly. September’s turnover was 30% off budget.”