UK construction and property
- Output | Total construction output fell 1.9% between January and February with decreases in both new work (2.3%) and repair and maintenance (1.4%) with anecdotal evidence suggesting that heavy rainfall was the main reason. On an annual basis, output was largely unchanged with growth of 0.1%. All work, however, fell by 7.8% with new private housing and new industrial contributing to the fall. Commercial output fell by 6.4% in the year.
- Hospital buildings | Analysis of NHS Digital data by the Liberal Democrats has found that more than 2,000 NHS buildings are older than the service and the maintenance backlog has increased to £11.6bn.
- Supply chain debt | The total owed to creditors after the demise of Buckingham Group has doubled to £256m. In September 2023, the company’s directors disclosed that there were 1,292 unsecured creditors owed £113m. The new higher figure includes significant claims from sureties providers.
- Skills cards | The Construction Industry Council has issued a statement to clarify that architects and consultant engineers are not required to have CSCS cards. Membership of a recognised professional body and adequate evidence of health and safety knowledge is sufficient. The full note is available here.
- Grenfell Tower | The final report from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has been delayed for a third time. Its planned release had been before the 14th of June, the seventh anniversary of the fire. The panel said that the rule 13 process – which requires notifying those that are subject to criticism and considering their responses – “was proving time-consuming” and the reason for the delay.
- Second staircase guidance | The recently published design guidance has been welcomed by the London Fire Brigade, but it also said that fire safety measures should look at measures beyond the number of staircases, adding that there should be “equal consideration for the escape of all building users through the use of suitably protected evacuation lifts.”
- Credit insurance | The Construction Leadership Council, together with the Builders Merchants Federation is attempting to understand the issues in the credit insurance market after reports that insurers have pulled trade insurance cover on leading contractors. It has launched a Trade Credit Insurance Survey to gather information on the current levels of provision.
