Public Works Consultant’s Post

As we dive into yet another election season, let's talk about the elephant in the room: a fifth of our construction workforce lacks permanent legal status. While debates rage on, building pros are raising their hands for help - it's a real skill shortage out there! Can the next president help bridge that gap, or will we be left playing a game of "Where's Waldo?" with qualified workers? Check out the insights here: https://okt.to/jw3UTu. Let's build a better future, one legal worker at a time!

The Government has launched the new National Planning Policy Framework today with the promise of making mass-housing delivery easier and faster. The introduction of grey-belt as a formalised concept, removing the tests of inappropriate development in the grey-belt and the introduction of a 6-year housing supply, rather than 5-years previously. There's direct reference to the national industrial strategy (as currently set out in Invest 2035: The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy), and the need for planning policies to have regard to this document. However, despite the Government’s objective of boosting economic growth, the new NPPF does not set out employment floorspace targets, nor does it prescribe any method for assessing employment land supply. There's some recognition for data centres, acknowledging these as critical national infrastructure which represents significant policy change requiring that Local Planning Authorities consider Data Centres as a form of infrastructure with specific locational requirements.  Here's a link so you can see what they're proposing..

Whichever party is in, building enough houses will be a mountain of a task. ⛰️ Interested to read The Conservative Party Manifesto with two particularly relevant actions for the construction industry: 1. Deliver 1.6 million well-designed homes in the right places 2. Invest £36 billion in local roads, rail and buses to drive regional growth, including £8.3 billion to fill potholes and resurface roads, funded by cancelling the second phase of HS2. I've seen a lot of response to 1. from the industry - questions around how we will deliver 1.6m homes, when only 2.5m have been built in the last 14 years, for example. On 2. however, there are also questions. Interesting to see many small infrastructure projects be funded by the cancellation of one big infrastructure project - these small projects will need many skilled teams to deliver them so the question comes back to where they will find their operatives. These projects will usually be more difficult to staff, leading to higher recruitment agency fees even if the salaries the jobs are offering are lower. Either way, Fixed will be needed. 💪 On the plus side, good to see some movement on S106 obligations for smaller projects! Keen to hear your thoughts! Comments on the The Labour Party manifesto to follow. #construction #recruitment #agency #politics #contech #constructiontech

Did you know that in 2021, 507 construction workers in the UK took their own lives? Marc Preston argues for urgent legislative action to combat this crisis. But what can we do right now? Let's discuss. #wellbeingcoach #mentalhealth #corporatewellness #employeewellbeing https://www.rfr.bz/ll6zbv4

How are perceptions changing around worker safety when building at height? What are the benefits of alternative access solutions over traditional means? And how do risks change when utilising such methods on construction projects? These are the questions posed to and answered by Cobus Joubert of SGB-Cape in the latest issue of African Review, which you can discover in the digital magazine now: https://zurl.co/rr1t “Failing to prioritise safety can lead to accidents, injuries, and even fatalities, which not only harm individuals but can also have legal, financial, and reputational consequences for the companies involved.” #Construction #AlternativeAccess #WorkerSafety #ConstructionSafety #AfricaConstruction #RopeAccess #RiskAssessment

As we enter another election cycle, it's time to address an important issue: 20% of our construction workforce does not have permanent legal status. While discussions continue, industry professionals are signaling for assistance—there's a genuine shortage of skilled workers! Can the next president address this challenge, or will we continue to struggle to find qualified labor? Discover more insights here: https://okt.to/5YH2M1. Together, let’s work towards a stronger future, one legal worker at a time!

📣 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊'𝐒  💻 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 - 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐒𝐖 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Are you interested in understanding more about the NSW Government Construction Schemes? Do you want to know what sort of information and evidence you would have to provide to apply? Then this webinar with Rochelle Kirk is for you! 🔗 Register via the link below ⬇️

📣 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊'𝐒  💻 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 - 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐒𝐖 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Are you interested in understanding more about the NSW Government Construction Schemes? Do you want to know what sort of information and evidence you would have to provide to apply? Then this webinar with Rochelle Kirk is for you! 🔗 Register via the link below ⬇️

Our CEO Robert Brent has shared his thoughts with CIOB People on the important issue of illegal labour in the construction industry. There is a technology solution, but there must first be cross-industry adoption of collective working. It’s not just compliance on the line, it’s health and safety, productivity, and the construction sector’s reputation. Read the full article online now. https://lnkd.in/eAcYeqYm #ConstructionTech #WorkforceManagemen #CIOBPeople

My latest thoughts for Planning Magazine tackles the challenges around planning capacity in the public sector. The Government has promised 300 new planners and potentially changes to fees but we need a root and branches review of resourcing with the aim of getting planners back doing planning. I offer some suggestions here which I believe will help #LetPlannersBePlanners https://lnkd.in/eufsMffc