News News in Brief


Academy for change Laing O’Rourke and the University of Cambridge have announced the creation of a new multi-disciplinary academic centre of excellence to advance the engineering profession. The Laing O’Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology is planned to play a key role in shaping the future of the construction industry by responding to environmental and sustainability challenges.


New energy forum The Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG) Solar PV Forum has been created for industry and ministers to consider issues such as the success of the Feed-In Tariff scheme, and to debate the numerous regulatory challenges still facing the technology in the UK.


‘Raise your game’ The UK’s chief construction adviser, Paul Morrell, said that ‘irrational exuberance’ in the construction industry must end. Speaking at the Joint Contracts Tribunal reception, he said that the key to industry success was for it to ‘raise its game’ by increasing the level of standardisation throughout the sector, and ensuring payment down the entire supply chain.


Green energy cuts Funding for deep geothermal energy generation has been cut by £1m as part of the government’s early round of planned cuts, totalling £6.2bn. The Department for Energy and Climate Change also announced it is cutting £3m from the Offshore Wind Capital Grants Scheme, and closing the Energy Saving Trust’s technology trials early in order to save £700,000.


Second look at NPS A second consultation on the draft energy National Policy Statements has been announced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The final version should be ratified by parliament next spring. www.decc.gov.uk


Part L may face six-month delay under new review


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Changes to Part L of the Building Regulations


could face a six-month delay as a result of a government review. Part L 2010 is due to be introduced this October. But the new coalition government has decided that all new legislation introduced since the beginning of the year now needs to be reviewed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ Reducing Regulation Committee – which includes Part L. If the October deadline is missed,


Part L will have to be delayed by at least six months, as regulations can be introduced only twice a year, in April and October. A spokesman for the Department


of Communities and Local Government told the Journal that, as yet, there is no official timetable in place stating exactly when Part L will be reviewed. But he added: ‘Our intention is to introduce the changes to Part L of the Building Regulations in October, as approved


by parliament.’ There is also concern over the availability of the SAP software required to support the changes. The spokesman confirmed that while ‘some of it is already available, other versions are on course to be available by October’. The Home Builders’ Federation


has written to Andrew Stunell, Building Regulations minister, asking for the new Part L to be delayed to give industry more time


Design on hold? Industry awaits final rule changes


to get used to the software. But Hywel Davies, CIBSE technical director, said he is currently unaware of any issues being raised in the industry about Part L. He added: ‘Generally, with the pressure to deliver low carbon premises, this sort of call from sections of the industry doesn’t help to create the picture of a sector that’s committed to delivering on the low carbon agenda.’


Ministers order inquiry into construction costs


The government has ordered an investigation into why major infrastructure projects cost more in the UK than other countries. The review was announced


as part of Chancellor George Osborne’s June 2010 Emergency Budget. Terry Hill, leader of Arup’s global transport market, has been appointed as chairman of the steering group overseeing


Tripping the light fantastic


The PALME Middle East awards have been announced, with Edinburgh’s Lighting Design Partnership International winning Best Use of Exterior Lighting for its work on the Bahrain World Trade Centre. The awards celebrate achievements in professional lighting, audio, music, entertainment, audio visual and systems integration.


the investigation. It is being managed within HM Treasury by Infrastructure UK, an advisory body to government. The investigation is based on


initial evidence suggesting that the costs of building infrastructure in the UK, when compared to other EU and non-EU countries, are higher. Its key aims will be to identify ways to deliver


improvements to reduce the costs of investing in infrastructure. Hill said that a saving of as little as 10 per cent – on a total spend of £400bn – would represent ‘a serious sum’. The inquiry will cover areas


including the structure of the industry; procurement processes for public contracts; and bureacracy and overregulation.


6


CIBSE Journal August 2010


www.cibsejournal.com


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