News News in Brief
Funds for social housing Up to £200m worth of design and construction projects for mixed-use affordable housing developments have been made available by a consortium of UK housing associations. The Blue Skies Consortium consists of 16 housing groups in the East Midlands and beyond. Projects will be divided into two different value bands – those above £1m and those less than this amount.
www.blueskiesconsortium.org.uk
Oxfordshire cuts projects Oxfordshire County Council is reviewing up to £500m worth of new build and maintenance projects it had planned to implement in the next five years. Government cuts have led the authority to scrutinise a number of projects, such as extensions to schools, and new schools linked to new developments.
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk
Crossrail tenders invited Crossrail has invited bids for two projects. The construction of the new Broadgate Ticket Hall at London’s Liverpool Street Station includes building a three-storey substation. Crossrail is also looking for contractors to refurbish the Connaught Tunnel.
www.crossrail.bravosolution.co.uk
New wind speed predictor Scientists at the University of Exeter have created what they claim is the first comprehensive future weather files that include a realistic representation of wind speed and direction. They are compatible with common building simulation software and allow engineers to compare a typical year in the 2020s with a typical year in the 2050s. www.
ex.ac.uk/cee/prometheus
Green role for H&S staff New research from NEBOSH suggests that more than half of health and safety managers are now responsible for environmental issues at work. The health, safety and environmental qualifications provider analysed 100 H&S job adverts and 55% mentioned environmental management.
www.nebosh.org.uk
6 CIBSE Journal July 2010
Low carbon policy details unveiled amid cash fears
n
The software for Part L 2010 of the Building Regulations
has finally been released to industry. It came as the long-awaited definition of zero carbon homes was also due to be unveiled. The new Part L National
Calculation Method modelling guide incorporates a number of changes, including a new set of fuel emission factors taken from data published in SAP 2009. Meanwhile, the zero carbon
homes definition was due to be published at the end of June, after the Journal went to press. The advisory body that has been
working on the definition on behalf of central government, the Zero Carbon Hub, was also reported last month to be facing the loss of
Department for Communities and Local Government funding. The Housing Minister, Grant
Shapps, was rumoured to be planning to cut public funding for the Hub once a suitable definition has been published. Last month’s Emergency Budget, which announced plans to cut funding for government departments by up to 25%, will hit CLG, which supports the Hub.
However, Hywel Davies, technical
director of CIBSE and a member of the Zero Carbon Hub working group on the definition of zero carbon, said: ‘We certainly understand there are pressures on CLG to achieve more with less money, but we believe it must resist the temptation to do things on the cheap.’
CIBSE explains Part L 2010
CIBSE is holding a one-day conference focusing on the updates to Part L 2010. Speakers will include Paul DeCort of the Department for Communities and Local Government, Paul Davidson of BRE, and Nick Cullen, partner, Hoare Lea. The conference will take place on 19 October in London, with the full programme and venue to be confirmed. For more information and to book, visit:
www.cibsetraining.
co.uk/conferences – save £50 with the early bird rate, available till 16 July.
HCA to shed projects in £230m squeeze
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will have to cut its budget by £230m under the govern- ment’s initial £6bn cuts plan. The move will see the housing
and regeneration body slicing £100m from its National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP), £50m from the second round of its Kickstart programme, which was set up to help stalled projects, and £50m from its Housing Market
Renewal scheme, which represents a reduction on the allocations announced in December and is now subject to consultation. A complete hold was also placed
on all uncommitted spending for all programmes until details of the emergency Budget were revealed. Efficiency savings in running
costs of 10% – in addition to the existing 3% target for operating costs and 2% cash standstill – will
also have to be made this financial year. The HCA said it will achieve this through ‘job vacancy control, reducing its use of consultants, reducing research and travel costs’. But the Treasury has indicated that it will ‘recycle’ £170m of the expected £500m of government savings back to the HCA to reinvest in social rented housing. For more on cuts, see the News Analysis on page 20
Redevelopment for Russian airport
Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg is being completely redeveloped in a euro 1bn project. Works include the creation of a new terminal building and pier, a hotel, business centre and office developments, as well as extensive refurbishment to the existing infrastructure. Phase 1 of the 30 year contract should be complete by 2013. The lead design consultant is multi-disciplinary group Ramboll UK. The architect is Grimshaw.
www.cibsejournal.com
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