Bellway is preparing to start construction on 181 new homes in the Stoke suburb of Meir, after detailed plans were approved by the local authority.

The development, to be known as The Crescent, is one half of a joint 350-home project with another developer on land to the west of Caverswall Lane.

Bellway’s detailed plans were given the go-ahead by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in late 2021.

The Crescent will occupy two land parcels within the wider site and provide a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses, with the first homes expected to be released for sale in August 2022.

As part of the planning agreement, the developers will contribute almost £2.6 million towards essential services in the local area.

Marie Richards, Sales Director for Bellway West Midlands, said: “With our detailed plans for The Crescent approved by Stoke-on-Trent Council, we are now looking forward to seeing the site take shape as building work starts on the first homes.

“The Crescent will deliver much-needed new housing to Meir, as well as significant financial investment into the area, with the wider development including £2.5 million towards local education through the planning agreement.

“This makes The Crescent a positive addition to Stoke that will improve services and facilities for the local community, while also helping to meet the high demand for new homes.

“Construction work at The Crescent should take approximately four years to complete but we are already planning to launch the development in August of this year when the first homes will be released for sale.

“Due to its desirable location near the Staffordshire Moorlands, with great local amenities and excellent transport connections, we are expecting high levels of interest in these homes from families, first-time buyers and commuters.”

For more information about The Crescent or Bellway, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/west-midlands/the-crescent or call 01827 255755.

Property & Development Magazine | The Home of Residential Sector News

Independent West Country housebuilder Devonshire Homes has marked its 30th anniversary by announcing two new charity partners for 2022/2023.

The housebuilder, which currently has new build homes sites in Crediton, Bovey Tracey, Bideford, Kingsbridge and St. Austell, has announced South West Blood Bikes and Cornwall Blood Bikes as its two Charities of the Year.

Both Blood Bike charities are formed from teams of volunteers who rely on donations alone to operate their life-saving service. Volunteer bikers use their advanced motorcycle skills to provide an ‘out of hours’ service to NHS partners, transporting essential urgent supplies such as whole blood, pathology samples, medication, medical equipment, medical notes and donor breast milk to NHS hospitals and hospices throughout Devon and Cornwall.

Devonshire Homes will donate £25 to South West Blood Bikes and £25 to Cornwall Blood Bikes for every open-market house sold during the year and Devonshire Homes’ staff will also show their support by hosting and taking part in a variety of fundraising events.

Mark Bentley, Chairman of South West Blood Bikes, visited Devonshire Homes’ head office in Tiverton to deliver an insightful talk on the service Blood Bike volunteers provide and how it makes a difference to the NHS and people receiving treatment.

Mark commented: “We are delighted that Devonshire Homes has chosen South West Blood Bikes as one of its Charities of the Year alongside our friends at Cornwall Blood Bikes. We don’t receive any government funding and do not charge the NHS for our services. We rely 100% on donations from the public and businesses so we’re always very grateful when a company such as Devonshire Homes chooses to fundraise for us.

“It is great to see a housebuilder committed to giving back to the communities in which it builds in, particularly at a time when the NHS is under more pressure than ever before. We look forward to a very successful partnership with the team at Devonshire Homes.”

Devonshire Homes has a history of supporting local charities. To date, it has raised just under £50,000 for local charities including Children’s Hospice South West and Hospiscare. The housebuilder also regularly supports bespoke causes including the Tiverton Rugby Club, Mid Devon Show and Tiverton in Bloom.

Angus Cook, Managing Director of Devonshire Homes, commented: “At Devonshire Homes, we support a number of local good causes, but in consultation with our staff, we choose a Charity of the Year as a focus for our fundraising activities. We are all aware that the NHS is under a tremendous amount of pressure which hasn’t been helped by the Covid-19 pandemic, so we felt it would be an ideal time to support a charity such as the Blood Bikes which tries to ease that burden.

“It was a pleasure to welcome Mark to our head office in Tiverton to talk to our team about the vital work the Blood Bikes do, providing a rapid response medical transport service to the NHS. It really brought to life how hard these volunteers work. Not only do many of them have full-time jobs, but they dedicate their evenings and weekends to being on call in case a local hospital needs urgent medical supplies. We’re delighted to be supporting both South West Blood Bikes and Cornwall Blood Bikes and look forward to a year of fundraising.”

Independent housebuilder Devonshire Homes, based in Tiverton, has been creating new homes and communities in towns and rural areas across Devon since 1992. Current developments include: Tarka View, Crediton; Longston Cross, Bovey Tracey; The Grange, Bideford; Applegate Park, Kingsbridge and Gwallon Keas, St. Austell.

Property & Development Magazine | The Home of Residential Sector News

Rotpunkt, award winning designer and leading manufacturer of climate friendly German Kitchen furniture roll-out new Together to Zero climate strategy in partnership with MyClimate.org, to help shape our future and support the 17 goals outlined by the United Nations for sustainable development.

Matt Phillips, Head of UK Operations at Rotpunkt says, “As the global pandemic recedes, we are planning the next stage of our brand evolution with Together to Zero. In line with increasing demand, an investment of double-digit million euros is planned to expand our headquarters in Bunde, in recognition of Rotpunkt’s stability in the kitchen industry and its home location in North-Rhine Westphalia.

The pandemic boosted our financial performance as consumers invested heavily in home improvements. In fact, we reported the best year to date, despite new challenges arising from disruptions in the supply chain. We are now inviting our dealer network and consumers to join us in reducing carbon emissions and making the world a better place one Rotpunkt kitchen at a time.”

The key components of the new Together to Zero climate strategy comprise:

Greenline BioBoard Gen2: A sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chipboards. Made by Pfleiderer Deutschland, BioBoard Gen2 is a resource-saving chipboard that consists of up to 90% recycled wood without compromising on style or quality. Fulfilling the world’s highest requirements for formaldehyde emissions, BioBoard Gen2 is certified F4 star standard = 50% less emissions when compared to conventional chipboard to ensure a healthier living environment in the domestic home: 80% of Rotpunkt products are made of Greenline BioBoard Gen2.

Climate Protection: Using an approach grounded in ‘avoid-reduce-compensate’, all Rotpunkt carbon emissions are being reduced gradually and effectively. Any emissions that cannot be avoided or reduced will be offset via sustainability projects in partnership with MyClimate.org. For example, MyClimate.org and Rotpunkt are supporting hundreds of families in Kenya with efficient cookers. Currently, 849 Kenyans are already benefiting from better indoor air quality and more leisure time thanks to less time spent collecting firewood. In addition, the activities have preserved a forest area of 5.25 ha (equivalent to the size of 50 football fields) as a natural CO² reservoir.

Green Production: Optimising manufacturing processes and offering employees a healthy working environment ensures that the Rotpunkt sustainability pledge covers every aspect of its operations. For example, batch production at its Getmold plant has significantly reduced the amount of waste materials and Rotpunkt has also switched to green energy from approved suppliers. Staff also have the option of using mechanic exoskeletons to reduce the physical strain of performing heavy repetitive or overhead tasks. Rotpunkt production has been one hundred per cent climate-friendly, since 2020 thanks to the use of green electricity and investments in sustainability projects.

Acting Responsibly: 95% of Rotpunkt kitchen furniture is Forest Stewardship Council-certified and the company only uses wood from sustainable forests in Germany, Austria and France where working conditions are fair and human rights are respected. This ensures that Rotpunkt is being socially and environmentally responsible, helping to protect people and trees. The Forest Stewardship Council is a well-respected international organisation that promotes the conservation and responsible management of forests worldwide.

Growing Together: For the past five years, Rotpunkt has been appraising its systems and practices with one overarching aim – to make the business and its products more sustainable and climate-friendly. A carbon balance sheet dictates the future of the business so that economic, environmental, and social costs and benefits are given equal consideration. Rotpunkt reviews its CO² emissions each year and takes measures to continuously reduce its carbon footprint.

Bringing innovation and ease to the contemporary, feel-good kitchen is key for Rotpunkt as the wellness living trend evolves and consumers seek substance and evidence for eco-friendly claims.

EX-FORCES INLAND HOMES EMPLOYEE STEPS UP TO TREK FOR MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Above: James, Pedro, Gary, Mike and Jason

On Friday 17^th December, ex-forces and current Inland Homes employee James Day, alongside four colleagues within the business, will take on a 16 mile walk from Hounslow to Beaconsfield to raise money to improve mental health services for service veterans. Aptly named ‘Walking Home for Christmas’ as part of Walking with the Wounded’s Christmas campaign, the team of five has already raised more than £6,500 and is hoping to significantly increase this total by the time the challenge is complete.

Quality and Compliance Manager James, joined by Group Managing Director Gary Skinner, Operations Director Jason Seymour, Development Director Pedro Longras and Senior Project Manager Mike Butler, will walk between two of Inland Homes’ developments that are teeming with military history – Cavalry Barracks in Hounslow and Wilton Park in Beaconsfield.

Walking Home for Christmas is an annual event organised by Walking with the Wounded, the charity dedicated to providing help and support to veterans from all services – from the armed forces to the police force and all emergency services. They run specific programmes to support the individuals themselves, as well as their families, on topics ranging from finances and housing, to addiction and mental health support.  This Christmas, the fundraising campaign is focused on mental health following nearly two years of increased mental health pressure due to Covid-19.

James comments: “I wanted to take part in this year’s Walking Home for Christmas, as mental health in the forces is something I feel very passionately about. After serving in the infantry from the age of 16 and then working in the police force for nearly 15 years, I have seen first-hand the lack of mental health support that is available to ex servicemen and women through the government. Ex-service members have seen things that most of the general public couldn’t imagine, and it is so important that the right support is given. It is purely down to charities like Walking with the Wounded that veterans get the support they need, so I really wanted to do my bit, even if it was just to help one person – at least I can say I did that.”

“When I left the army aged 21, I had my own struggles with transitioning back into normal civilian life. In that time there was no help, and it was tough without having a mental health issue to deal with as well. It’s easy to see why so many veterans struggle learning how to be a civilian in this world while battling with mental health. My initial aim was to raise £988, as this covers the cost of mental health sessions for one person. Since Gary and the rest of the team have joined me, we have raised over £6,500 which will help at least six ex-servicemen or women, and that makes me so proud. I’m really looking forward to taking on this challenge with the team, and raising as much money to help as many veterans as we can.”

The walk will start from Cavalry Barracks in Hounslow, which was in continued use as an operational military barracks from the late 1700s until its vacation earlier this year. From here, the team will walk the 16 miles to Wilton Park in Beaconsfield, which in its rich history was used as an interrogation centre for senior Nazi prisoners of war during World War 2, with famous ‘visitors’ including Marshall Messe, Field-Marshalls von Rundstedt and Busch and Rudolph Hess.

Inland’s Group Managing Director and member of the team, Gary Skinner, comments: “Myself, Jason, Pedro and Mike are delighted to be supporting James in taking part in this challenge. Mental health in the forces is something often overlooked, especially when it comes to re-joining normal life again. When I heard that James was taking on this walk, I knew we had to get some of the Inland team involved to try and exceed his target, and it’s incredible how much money has been raised already.”

To show your support for James and the team, and to raise money for Walking with the Wounded, please visit: www.walkinghomeforchristmas.com/teams/site-to-site

Property & Development Magazine

Rural homelessness doubles since 2018 according to rural campaigners

‘Investing in affordable rural housing will level up and turbo charge the rural economy’ according to new research from CPRE, the countryside charity, English Rural and the Rural Services Network

Homelessness in rural areas has more than doubled in the past two years, according to analysis of government figures from CPRE, the countryside charity. These stark figures come as CPRE, English Rural and the Rural Services Network launch new economic analysis, which shows that investing in affordable housing in rural areas could play a huge role in rebuilding the economy and balancing the government’s books after the pandemic.

Rural homelessness continues to soar unabated and looks set to get worse unless the government acts to invest in well-designed and genuinely affordable homes. The number of households categorised as homeless in rural local authorities rose to 19,975 – an increase of 115% from 2017/18. It is clear that the government needs to invest in rural social housing to get to grips with this problem.

It is well known that affordable rural homes create sustainable communities, but new jointly commissioned research, conducted by Pragmatix Advisory, goes further showing how these homes can help ‘level up’ against rural disadvantage, while also providing a turbo charge for the economy. For every 10 new affordable homes built, the economy will be boosted by £1.4 million, supporting 26 jobs and generating £250,000 in government revenue. When multiplied by the number of affordable homes needed, this would lead to a massive boom in affordable homes, while providing a huge boost to jobs and the economy, saving the NHS and benefits bill thousands of pounds, and even cutting the government’s budget deficit.

However, under the government’s major overhaul of the planning system, there could be even fewer genuinely affordable homes delivered. Rural councils predict potential falls of up to 50% in affordable house building if the duty for developers to build affordable homes – known as the small sites cap – is raised from sites of 10 to 40 or 50 under the government’s proposed changes to the planning system. Countryside campaigners are urging the government to safeguard rural communities by exempting them from proposals.

Commenting on the homelessness figures, Crispin Truman, chief executive of CPRE, the countryside charity, said:

‘Genuinely affordable, well designed homes connected to low carbon public transport and good local services are the very foundations of thriving rural communities. But today’s analysis shows that we are a long way off delivering more of this and tragically, rural homelessness continues to soar. We also know that too many key workers have been priced out of the rural communities they serve – we cannot accept that nine in ten care workers are priced out by private rents.

‘Continuing to deregulate the planning system will only make this situation worse and would be the exact opposite of ‘building back better’. Instead, investing in rural social housing now would deliver a boost to the economy at a time when this is so desperately needed. The evidence is crystal clear that this is the best way to provide affordable homes for rural communities, especially the key workers who communities rely on now, more than ever, while at the same time jump starting the economy.’

The scale of the challenge is unprecedented – at current social housing build rates, it will take more than 150 years to clear rural housing waiting lists[1], and coronavirus will only make this worse.[2]

Welcoming the findings, Martin Collett, chief executive of English Rural Housing Association, said:

‘This research shows both the economic and social value in directing more government investment towards delivering genuinely affordable rural homes. National housing and planning policy for too long has overlooked the needs of the countryside, focusing on urban solutions to rural problems that simply do not work.  With rural communities left behind as local people, especially younger households, are priced out of the housing market. The pandemic has reminded us how important it is to have balanced communities, where essential workers both live and work.

‘As a provider of affordable rural homes, English Rural sees first-hand the positive impact that building a small high-quality development has on social and community wellbeing. The work completed by Pragmatix Advisory illustrates the strong economic argument as well, both from a local and national perspective. With homes enabling the economic potential of the countryside, whilst securing a positive financial return for any public investment made.’

The jointly commissioned research highlights the fragility of rural businesses to the economic shock of coronavirus and Brexit. With a dependency on at-risk industries and lack of access to affordable homes, low income rural workers, particularly young families now face heightened risks. Evidence presented through the research shows the dual value of investing in affordable rural homes. They level-up against rural disadvantage whilst providing a turbo-charge for the economy; reducing the national deficit and generating a net return for the treasury.

Graham Biggs, Chief Executive of the Rural Services Network, said:

‘This research and analysis by Pragmatix Advisory is very welcome and timely. The social case for affordable rural housing provision is undeniable and is at the heart of sustainable rural communities. Now the economic case for government investment in such housing is also firmly established we call on the government to boost affordable rural housing supply in a clear win-win situation.’

Property & Development Magazine

How to make a success of your wedding business

Good quality facilities management is key to running a successful wedding venue that stands head and shoulders above the competition.

Running a wedding venue can be an incredibly profitable and rewarding business – after all, you’re helping couples to plan one of the happiest days of their lives. But it’s not all hearts and roses; managing a successful wedding venue requires commitment, creativity and sheer hard work.

First and foremost, you need to get the basics right – from staffing and catering, to cleaning and booking systems, and this requires good facilities management.

Administration and organisation

Good organisation and effective administration are key to running a wedding venue. In order to put these in place you need to first fully understand your venue; what are your assets and facilities? How many people can you accommodate? What extras can you provide?

With a full understanding of the business and your potential customers you can put in place the appropriate administrative and IT systems to help the venue to run smoothly and fully realise its potential.

Risk management and health & safety

Health and safety is vital for any business, and a wedding venue is no exception. As a business owner you need to be aware of your obligations to your employees and customers, and develop a detailed health and safety plan. This involves carrying out a comprehensive risk assessment and setting out measures to mitigate any potential risk, as well as providing staff instruction and training. A serious accident or safety breach could cause irreparable damage to your reputation and business, so make sure health and safety measures are built into all your business operations.

Customer service

To be a successful, award-winning wedding venue, you need to offer an outstanding level of customer service and, in the main, this comes down to staffing. Well-trained, friendly and knowledgeable staff can make all the difference to a couple’s big day and can really help you to stand out from the competition.

Other elements can also impact on your customer service levels, such as your enquiry and booking processes, your ability to be flexible and open to specific requests, and the cleanliness and condition of the premises, so paying attention to these areas of your business is imperative.

Catering

Catering is an important part of any wedding, and when it comes to your venue, could mean the difference between failure and success. If you are providing catering in-house, make sure you hire qualified, experienced catering staff with a good references, and work with your chef to create a delicious, appealing menu with good quality ingredients.

The bigger picture

You want your customers to have a seamless experience, from beginning to end, so when setting up your facilities management, don’t forget to consider the bigger picture. Areas such as external lighting, parking, and pick-up and drop-off points often get overlooked, but they can make a big difference to a couple’s overall experience. It’s also worth considering arrangements for emergency back-up power – the last thing you want is a power cut spoiling someone’s big day.

Marketing and promotion

In addition to the above, effective marketing and promotion is also essential to the success of your wedding business. When it comes to wedding venues, there is a huge amount of competition out there so, in order to stand out in a crowded market, you need to identify your unique selling points, or USPs. For some, such as this Essex wedding venue, that may be their historical links or quirky spaces, whereas others will make a selling point of their extensive grounds or luxury accommodation. It’s up to you to decide what makes your venue better than the rest.

Running a successful, award-winning wedding venue is no easy task. But with hard work, effective marketing, and excellent facilities management you will be well on the way to creating a credible and profitable wedding business that gives happy couples their perfect wedding day.

Could a change in the law be the answer to the UK’s vacant property crisis?

The current property crisis, more acute than it has been in living memory, straddles the public and the private sector. Theresa May’s social housing business plan has given the illusion of progress, but, in reality, the number of new social homes being built has been on a steep decline since the 1950s.

Certain political milestones have exacerbated this social housing shortage. Council tenants having permission to purchase their homes under Thatcher’s government might have prompted a spike in private ownership, but it was a devastating blow for social housing. Since then, rules preventing councils from borrowing money stopped the building of social housing almost entirely.

Private ownership is also on the decline. Millennials are four times more likely than baby-boomers be renting (privately) at the age of 30, as ownership levels slip back to 64%, and the percentage of income allocated to housing costs mounts.

These statistics have been prompting cries for change. In the lieu of government action, one potential solution to the housing crisis is a system of property guardianship.

What is property guardianship?

This concept is relatively simple. There are a huge number of empty properties in the UK at any given time. Uninhabited for any number of reasons (redevelopment plans, a change of purpose, a foreign owner, a deferred sale etc.) these properties can lie vacant for months – even years. Unused spaces offer an accommodation opportunity, as more and more owners are opting to have their properties managed by an on-site guardian.

Oaksure Property Protection explain how property guardianship is beneficial for both parties: guardians are housed at a relatively low cost, and property owners can secure their building against vandalism, thieves, squatters or general disrepair. The guardian’s presence functions as a security patrol for the property. In exchange, guardians are offered secure, maintained accommodation, with necessary living facilities, for a fraction of the cost of a conventional private tenancy.

What are the problems?

Whilst property guardianship seems to offer a simple, viable solution to the housing crisis, the system operates in foggy legal ground. This lack of legal clarity became apparent in a well-publicised case: Camelot v Greg Roynon.

Mr Roynon, occupant of two rooms in what was previously an old people’s home owned by Bristol City Council, refused to leave the property after being asked to do so by Camelot Guardian Management Ltd (who had entered an agreement with Bristol City Council to provide temporary guardians for their empty property).

The disagreement was taken to court and the issue of whether or not Mr Roynon was an assured shorthold tenant was decided upon based on specific details regarding the nature of occupation. The decision was significant: Mr Roynon was deemed to be a tenant not a licensee, even though he’d been given a ‘licence agreement’. Whilst this decision was specific to Mr Roynon’s circumstance, the result was a watershed moment for property guardianship.

What’s the solution?

 Property guardianship demands a two-pronged approach: the legislation has to be such that property owners and guardian companies are incentivised, but, equally, the rights of guardians need to be protected and upheld. To marry these standards is essential, else this viable solution to the housing crisis will quickly become a short-lived dream rather than a long-term prospect.

But the tensions in this system can be resolved. Assured tenancies might still be terminated with relative ease. All that’s required is a more scrupulous approach to timing implications.

Property owners and guardian schemes should place their written contracts and practical arrangements under review, taking the recent ruling into consideration. A better understanding of timings will ward against legal dispute, as more stringency will help to ensure that vacant possession is obtained at an early enough point, such that it becomes possible to retake control of the premises within the necessary timescale.

Legal disputes might muddy the waters of property guardianship, but as this arrangement becomes more commonplace, legal clarity on this new way of living will begin to emerge. As is so often the case, legislation is panting to keep up with social change.

Cautionary measures will allow systems of property guardianship to progress with the ease and convenience for which they were devised. Arrangements that benefit both owners and occupants are few and far between, but property guardianship offers a sacrifice-free solution to the housing crisis.

Property & Development Magazine

A construction apprentice from the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London has been celebrated by Berkeley Group. Huseyin Bozdogan been awarded with the Best Apprenticeship title by the Berkeley Group. The award has been given to Huseyin at their annual Apprenticeship Awards ceremony. The event this year took place on the 10th October at Pennington Street Warehouse in London Dock.

The 28-year-old apprentice has been completing his Dry Lining training with the construction group and has been described by his supervisors as the best apprentice that they have ever seen. After making such a good impression, Huseyin has been offered a job with the group when he completes his apprenticeship training, which is expected to be next year.

The Berkeley Group is a construction business that at the moment is working on the construction of 10% of all of London’s private and affordable housing. The company is dedicated to ensure that they continue to work closer with colleges in order to increase the level of skilled labour that is available on the industry with 400,000 workers expected to retire from this industry over the course of the next ten years and a skills deficit already apparent.

The award is a great accomplishment for Huseyin, who has said that the title and the feedback that he has received so far means a lot to him. It is also amazing to see that the dedication and hard work that has been put in by Huseyin and all apprentices in the company is recognised and appreciated.

Huseyin Bozdogan has had experience before this placement working with his uncle, a fellow trade worker, carrying out work on extensions and roof work while also looking for an apprenticeship place. When the opportunity of a place at Berkeley Group appeared, it provided Huseyin with the opportunity to earn new skills as well as getting qualifications while also getting paid.

This year’s Structural Timber Awards 2017 has gone above and beyond all previous events held. The quality and caliber of the submissions for this year’s awards were of an extremely high quality and demonstrated the improvements and upturn that has taken place in the Structural Timber industry.

The annual awards ceremony took place on the 10th October and celebrates the outstanding work done by people in this industry. The event was held at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham and was hosted by the well-known, infectiously funny Mark Durden-Smith.

There were more than 200 submissions for the 22 different awards and the panel of judges this year had a tough job to decide the winner for each category. Best Solid Wood Project was awarded to Waugh Thistleton Architects, who also managed to claim the Winner of Winners Award along with B & K Structures for their work on Dalston Lane. B & K Structures was also awarded Best Private Housing Project for the same project. Other awards include, Client of the Year, which was given to Barratt Homes for Timber Frame Private Homes. The Winner of the Best Social Housing Project was rg+p Heathcott Road, and Contractor of the Year is awarded to F Parkinson for Maggie’s Oldham.

The judges have commended all of the submissions this year for the high quality of the entries. The expertise that has been showcased with the projects has been impressive and the wealth of technology and knowledge that is being used in the construction industry is leading to the creation of sustainable and attractive properties that are environmentally friendly to construct and run. With the 2017 awards event a rousing success, thoughts have turned to next year, with the opportunity to register sponsorship interest or to submit a project already available. The Structural Timer Awards will take place in October 2018.

A Dissertation carried out by researchers at Birmingham City University, led by Marwan Mohamed titled ‘Brexit: measuring the impact upon skilled labour in the UK construction industry’. This research has been published in the International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, a peer-reviewed research journal. The research collected feedback from more than 50 different businesses in the construction industry in order to evaluate the impact that Britain leaving the European Union could have.

The research has shown that workers in the construction industry feel that Brexit will only have a negative impact on the already significant skills deficit in the industry. The results of the research showed that over 80% of workers thought that Brexit will damage the UK construction industry, and could result in a number of high-profile government infrastructure projects being shelved. 885 of the workers believed that the UK is reliant on the EU for the supply of skilled workers and that Brexit will lead to the skills deficit in the industry being made worse. 90% of workers felt that other EU countries could be made more attractive to migrant workers after Brexit, leading to predictions of a significant reduction in the number of skilled workers.

The research paper also suggests a number of solutions to help the construction industry after Britain leave the EU. These pragmatic recommendations include keeping the free movement of people and staying in the European Economic Area, offering higher wages and better overtime to keep hold of workers, utilising technology to reduce physical exertion, creating more apprenticeship opportunities and improving the image of a construction industry career in order to try and appeal to more young people.

The publication has gained the attention of academics and the industry and it is hoped that this awareness will lead to a larger debate on a matter that is set to have a damaging impact on a number of businesses across a variety of professions.