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Organisations across the construction industry are increasingly facing more people challenges, relating to both their own workforce and their supply chain. Whether this means tackling poor diversity practices and skills shortages, or combatting exploitation and modern slavery, the reality is that all these HR issues are linked.

In response, the People Matter Charter has been created by the Supply Chain Sustainability School and its delivery partner Action Sustainability to help organisations up and down the supply chain bring these challenges together into one workforce strategy. The Charter has eight commitments that can apply to any organisation, of any size – and 24 have already signed up, ahead of the official launch in January.

According to Stephen Hodgson, chief executive of the Property Care Association, retrofit insulation changes the way a building works in ways not always apparent.

While this does not mean that buildings shouldn’t be insulated, he says there needs to be a greater awareness of the implications of what might seem like innocuous improvements to the building fabric & insulation projects.

Take a look at what one housing association in the West Midlands are doing to play their part in going plastic-free.

Regeneration specialist Urban Union has been wholly acquired by Robertson Group, one of the largest family-owned construction, infrastructure and support services businesses in the UK.

Urban Union, established as a 50/50 joint venture in 2011 by Robertson Group and McTaggart Construction, was created in response to a substantial Town Centre Regeneration opportunity in Glasgow. Several similar opportunities followed, and Urban Union now delivers affordable and private housing in key regeneration areas across Scotland. It currently operates four developments – Laurieston Living and Pollokshaws Living in Glasgow, Pennywell Living in Edinburgh and Muirton Living in Perth.

The company is also working in partnership with Robertson and Queens Cross Housing Association delivering a 600-unit mixed tenure development at Hamiltonhill in Glasgow.

BMO Real Estate Partners (BMO REP), the pan-European property investment and asset management specialist that is part of Canada’s BMO Financial Group’s £216 billion1 Global Asset Management business, announces the first close for its newly developed UK housing strategy. The BMO UK Housing Fund (the Fund) will target a circa 6% return and 4.5% annual distribution yield through the provision of high quality, purpose-built mid-market rental homes for local key workers. The Fund, which is launching in order to take advantage of immediate opportunities within its circa £250 million investment pipeline, is targeting around £500 million of equity to deliver a core, inflation linked income-focused portfolio, which will be underpinned by an innovative ESG Impact Policy overseen by an independent advisory group.

Removing barriers to small house builders will deliver better quality homes and happier people, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to a national design audit conducted by UCL for CPRE, the countryside charity, and the Place Alliance, recently published.

Plumbing and heating professionals across the UK are calling on politicians to make room amid the Brexit tumult to focus on critical changes needed to create a resilient and sustainable construction sector.
 
A joint election manifesto issued by the leading trade bodies for plumbing and heating professionals in Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales has highlighted four key areas where change is required: payment abuse; pensions; green economy targets; and skills. The changes are aimed at creating a fairer competitive landscape where firms can develop and thrive.
 
The call to the incoming government has been issued by SNIPEF– the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation – and APHC, the equivalent trade body for the industry in England and Wales. Together they represent 1,770 businesses and 25,155 plumbing and heating operatives.