UK Construction Market Report 2Q 2024
Hot topics
Key statistics:
Modern methods of construction
think a lack of awareness of the many different principles the term encompasseshas hindered its application/popularity.
M&S High
Court ruling
think the ruling in favour of new build redevelopment will undermine progress in lowering the carbon impact of construction and the built environment.
Climate-related
impacts
of respondents think more frequent extreme weather events affect occupational safety and health.
Modern methods of construction (MMC)
Three-quarters of respondents believe a lack of awareness surrounding MMC’s many different principles hinders its application/popularity.
Clearly, the message from stakeholders needs to demonstrate how MMC goes beyond just offsite manufacturing.
The government has an important role to play, with the House of Lords’ Built Environment Committee releasing a critical letter in January urging the government to acquire a deeper understanding of how MMC works, develop a clear strategy and demonstrate leadership.
The IPA’s latest pipeline report alludes to the variety of MMC solutions available. It states that £64 billion of investment will involve a “broad range of approaches, technologies and innovations such as automated design or offsite construction”.
Procuring authorities that proactively engage with Tier 1 suppliers before finalising design stages can play a pivotal role in enabling MMC. This approach empowers stakeholders to assess and allocate supply chains based on their design and build methodology capabilities, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of MMC.
Raising awareness more widely can be achieved with upskilling programmes but also at further education levels similar to Germany, where teaching includes wider engineering processes for modular factory environments.
In terms of technological-based solutions and approaches outside a modular factory, MMC can include drones for more efficient site procedures such as earthworks quantification, inspections and remote monitoring. A range of solutions also exist to enhance site safety.
Climate change and retrofitting
A slight majority of respondents see the High Court’s recent ruling in favour of M&S’s plans for a new build flagship redevelopment as potentially giving confidence to developers pursuing new build schemes.
The case for new build often revolves around the improved operational efficiency of newly created stock and the benefits that wider public realm works or landscaping can bring to communities. Indeed, while M&S’ plans went to the High Court there were numerous other demolition and rebuild planning applications succeeding across the capital.
Local plans are crucial for developers to consider as some will contain, in policy terms, a presumption against demolition — or “retrofit first” — such as the City of London, where alternative solutions are encouraged.
An example that has made headlines is the former Museum of London site, now subject to Article 31 Holding Direction halting approval for a new office scheme. Michael Gove’s intervention follows almost 1,000 objections from local residents and campaigners concerned about the embodied carbon impact demolition would entail.
The City of London’s assessment concluded that the rebuild would indeed have the highest whole life carbon emissions due to the site’s size but ought to be approved due to better operational energy efficiency once built.
M&S’ success in overturning Michael Gove’s objection raises questions on the National Planning Policy Framework’s (NPPF) ability to support retrofit, as the High Court deemed Gove’s assertion that it presumes against demolition as going too far. Such a presumption would need to be expressly stated in the policy, which, at present, it does not.
Nevertheless, a shift to include an amendment to the NPPF that contains a presumption in favour of retrofit and reuse is likely to occur sooner rather than later. Labour has made planning reform a key priority, with a shift in policy here being a quick win for an incumbent Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities or the new government’s sustainability credentials.
Designs and feasibility studies increasingly consider changing climates and longer-term project resilience. The risk profile associated with this issue is continuously considered a high client priority.
The recent Gleeds market survey offers insight into the pressing concerns and common controls utilised in relation to climate change and its impact on occupational safety and health.
A substantial 61% of the surveyed individuals recognise more frequent extreme weather events as a primary concern, reflecting a broad consensus on the urgency of this issue. The increase in intensity and frequency of extreme weather is putting us all at greater risk.
Deteriorating air quality also emerges as a significant worry, with 34% of respondents acknowledging its detrimental effect on worker health, as well as having an influence on project design where mitigation measures for air quality deterioration are incorporated increasingly as standard.
Lesser, though still notable, concerns include heat stress and increased exposure to UV radiation and chemical risks, indicating a spectrum of environmental stressors affecting the workforce.
In terms of preventive strategies, respondents largely endorse the adoption of practical solutions.
Infrastructure improvements, such as the implementation of cooling systems, are favoured by 49% of the survey's participants, directly addressing the challenges posed by heat stress.
Nearly half of respondents (48%) support policy reform aimed at mitigating climate risks, while 47% advocate for enhancing employee training on climate risk awareness.
This survey data underscores an acute awareness of the necessity for multifaceted interventions that couple infrastructural upgrades with informed policy-making and education.
A respondent's commentary sheds light on underlying systemic challenges, noting the disparity between government rhetoric and departmental action on funding such initiatives.
For instance, the pursuit of net zero carbon is hamstrung by the drive to reduce costs to the detriment of progress, leading to scenarios where projects are expected to achieve significant sustainability credentials but within limited or inadequate budgets.
This challenge crystallises the need for consistent and transparent funding that aligns governmental declarations with departmental budgets, ensuring the fight against climate change is both practical and sustainable.
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