Dates for your diary
Friday 3rd March – Final deadline to submit a project in this year’s awards and yearbook.
Our final webinar for Study Day 2022 is on
Wednesday 22nd March at 1:00pm – Embracing digital technologies to reduce energy costs and achieve net zero targets, IES. For more information and to book your place, please see our events calendar.
Our first webinar for Study Day 2023 is on
Thursday 26th April 2023 at 1:00pm – Social Value, Technology and Good Practice, Faithful+Gould. For more information and to book your place, please see our events calendar.
Then we have our biggest event of the year!
Wednesday 21st June 2023 – Study Day pre-event Networking, Reading University
Thursday 22nd June 2023 – Study Day ‘Innovation and learning from projects delivered, Reading University.
Keep an eye on our calendar, website and LinkedIn for more information.
Catch up
Don’t forget to check out our podcasts, presentations and webinars on YouTube! Playlists include:
- Study Day 2022: Net Zero Carbon – Building Resilience
- Technical Webinars
- SPACES Awards
- SPACES 2021 Round Table and Podcasts
- Virtual Conference 2021 – Net Zero Carbon and the Climate Emergency
Got a question?
A SPACES member benefit is the opportunity to ask questions on our LinkedIn Technical Enquiry Service. You can join here.
Useful Information
(Follow us on LinkedIn for updates)
Building Safety Open Consultations
The following consultations on Building Safety are currently open:
- Consultation for changes to the building control profession and the building control process for approved inspectors (in future to be known as registered building control approvers) – closes 14th March
- Alternative cost recovery for remediation works: consultation on proposals to make regulations and statutory guidance under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 – closes 31st March
- Service charge transparency requirements: ongoing costs of the new building safety regime – consultation and call for evidence – closes 31st March
See here for more information.
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Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fire door guidance has been published. It gives guidance on how to conduct routine checks on fire doors and provide information to residents.
See here for more information.
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Give your views on ARB’s educational reforms – abolishing Parts I, II and III and replacing with two tiers of registration. Consultation closes 10th May.
See here for more information.
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Improve Walking and Cycling Routes
The Department for Transport has a new fund to help local authorities make improvements that enable more people to choose active travel.
See here for more information.
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There are some new approved energy-efficiency frameworks.
See here for more information.
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Dr Hywel Davies’ latest article on the Golden Thread.
See here for more information.
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Building Control Competence Framework (BICoF)
The HSE have released an e-bulletin that discusses the results of their recent consultation on the Building Control Competence Framework (BICoF).
See here for more information.
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In 2022, 79% of local authority officers struggled to attract and recruit staff. What is the reality of working in local government now?
The annual Local Authority Resourcing and Skills Survey aims to build an understanding of the current recruitment challenges in local authority teams across England. If you work in a planning or placemaking team in the public sector, this is your chance to have your say. Open until 6th March 2023.
See here for more information.
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The Building Safety Minister is urging those responsible for the safety of high-rise residential buildings in England to be ready to register with the new Building Safety Regulator from April.
Building registration is a major step in a package of measures to ensure high-rise residential buildings are safe for residents and users.
See here for more information.
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LETI have launched a series of webinars on Whole Life Carbon, running every two/three weeks Tuesday lunchtimes. The next one is
14th March – Operational Carbon in WLC Assessments
See here for more information, slides and information on how to book.
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The proposals to amend Approved Document B are to:
a. recommend Sprinklers in new Care Homes, regardless of building height;
b. remove the national classification system for construction products (BS 476 series) – including Class 0 – and require all relevant construction products to be tested to the British Standard version of the European Standard.
c. introduce a threshold whereby residential buildings above 30 metres in height should be designed and built with 2 staircases;
d. launch a call for evidence on revisions to paragraphs 10.6 and 10.7 of Approved Document B covering materials and products used in the construction of external walls.
The consultation ends on 17th March 2023.
See here for more information and the consultation.
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Consultation for changes to the building control profession and the building control process for approved inspectors (in future to be known as registered building control approvers).
This consultation closes at 11:45pm on 14 March 2023
See here for more information.
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LGA National Construction Conference
Bookings are now open for our 2023 LGA National Construction Conference – two in-person events to be held in London on Thursday 2 February and in Leeds on Tuesday 7 March.
Working with the construction industry, councils are best positioned to lead place-based approaches to hit NetZero targets, lead on local green growth and, use procurement best practice to tackle spiralling inflation, resource scarcity, sustainability issues and a move to modern methods of construction and digitalisation.
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Building Safety Regulator (BSR) Conference 2023
There is a Building Safety Regulator Conference on Wednesday 22nd March 2023, in London.
Spaces are very limited, so if you are interested in attending this event, fill out the interest expression form.
See here for more information.