SPACES newsletter – Feb 2023

Dates for your diary

As part of our ongoing series of webinars related to the 2022 Study Day, Net Zero Carbon – Building Resilience we have two more webinars.

Thursday 9th March 2023 – Lunchtime webinar on Social Value, Technology and good practice by Faithful+Gould

Wednesday 22nd March 2023 – Lunchtime webinar on Net Zero and Rising Energy Costs by IES

Friday 17th February – Deadline to submit a project in this year’s awards and yearbook.

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

As part of our ongoing series of webinars related to our Study Day, Net Zero Carbon – Building Resilience, Tom Holland, Business Development Manager at Innovaré Systems Limited presented on Low Carbon Superstructures. The webinar is now available to watch.

Thank you to our sponsors Atkins, Bauder Roofing, Faithful+Gould, Norse Consulting, Pick Everard and Willmott Dixon.

Don’t forget to check out our podcasts, presentations and webinars on YouTube! Playlists include:

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

Independent report Review of Net Zero

On the 13th Jan the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy published MISSION ZERO – Independent Review of Net Zero report.

See here for more information.

Building Control Survey in England and Wales Results

The Chartered Association of Building Engineers have carried out a survey of Building control officers working in English Local Authorities and Approved Inspectors/Building Control Approvers. The results are now available.

See here for more information.

Consultation – Sprinklers in care homes, removal of national classes, and staircases in residential buildings

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.

Consultation – Changes to the building control profession and the building control process for approved inspectors

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.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

The new Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have come into force. The Institution of Fire Engineers have a blog where they summarise the essential information about the new regulations and their impact.

See here for more information.

Social Housing Update

Monthly update from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Housing and Health Secretary’s response to the Coroner’s Report, following the tragic death of two-year old Awaab Ishak, including:

  • Launching a rapid review of existing guidance on health impacts of damp and mould, followed by new guidance for the housing sector
  • A policy that would specify time limits which landlords must meet on investigating hazards and fixing problems causing health concerns
  • A new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman through the upcoming Renters Reform Bill
  • £30 million for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to start improving the quality of social housing.

Plus a trial inspection programme from the Regulator of Social Housing.

See here for more information.

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.

LETI Webinars

LETI have launched a series of webinars on Whole Life Carbon, running every two/three weeks Tuesday lunchtimes. The first one was held on 24th January on Introduction to Whole Life Carbon and the LETI webinar series. With two more on

  • 7th February – Embodied Carbon case studies
  • 21st February – Operational Carbon in Whole Life Carbon assessmentsSee here for more information, slides and information on how to book.

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.

System Enablers for a Circular Economy

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published a new toolkit to enable the construction industry to accelerate the shift from a linear to a regenerative, circular economy.

See here for more information.

Contract to fix unsafe buildings

Developers have received legally binding contracts that will commit them to pay to repair unsafe buildings from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The government has set a six-week deadline for developers to sign the legal agreements and is warning that companies who fail to sign and comply with the terms of the contract will face significant consequences.

See here for more information.

Damp and mould in England’s social housing

The Regulator of Social Housing, have published our initial findings on damp and mould in England’s social housing today.

See here for more information.