Industry News
Go Ahead Given for Bristol City Stadium Project
Funding Cull for Renewable Heat Technology
The Solar Trade Association
Plans for Bristol City FC’s new £60 million stadium will not be called in by the government. The announcement presents a significant step forward for club, whose plans for the 30,000-seat stadium on greenbelt land at Ashton Vale received an 8-1 “minded to approve” verdict from the local council’s Planning Committee last month. Capita Symonds is providing Project Management, Cost Management and CDMC services on the Populous-designed project which is expected to be completed in 2012.
Situated in the Ashton Vale area
of the city, just 1 km from the team’s current home at Ashton Gate, the new stadium will have a 30,000 capacity which could be expanded to 42,000 if England hosts the World Cup in 2018 (last year Bristol was named in England’s World Cup bid as one of 12 potential host cities). The stadium will be a 24-7 venue capable of holding events such as concerts, conferences, banquets and trade shows, as well as acting as a hub for community led enterprises.
(STA) have expressed dismay that funds in the Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP) programme (Phases 1 and 2) are set to expire within the next 2 months, a full 10 months ahead of the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which could lead to job losses and bankruptcies within the renewable heat industry. Currently, the Low Carbon Building Programme Parts 1 and 2 provides grants to householders and public sector buildings to encourage the uptake and installation of renewable heat technologies including Solar Thermal technologies. Originally, the schemes were due to expire in Spring 2011. Over the last 2 years renewable
technologies have witnessed phenomenal growth and the renewable heat industry can be considered a true economic success story through the current recession. This has been largely due to the previous commitment of Government to support and nurture it. However, in light of the funding cull due to happen,
the clear funding gap that will emerge will stifle the renewable heat industry as homeowners and public sector buildings are no longer able to consider these technologies as a viable option economically. The impact on jobs and the overall UK economy can only be negative, with job losses and destruction of an industry that needs to be gearing up for the introduction of the RHI. Stifling green shoot growth at this stage is also likely to have a long-term impact so that the uptake of renewable heat technologies will effectively stall, to the detriment of the RHI scheme for 2011 and beyond. The use of renewable heat
technologies in the public sector has been an essential focus in the battle against fuel poverty. Providers of Solar Thermal systems have been pivotal in countering this poverty for housing associations such as Islington Borough Council. They have installed Solar Thermal systems in more than 100 of their homes generating in excess of 75,000 kWh of heat with a CO2
saving of at least 47,000 kg per year.
Scottish Construction Industry Forecasts 51 % Fewer Apprentices in 2010
The Scottish construction
industry looks set to suffer a further significant drop in the number of construction apprentices in training this year, according to the latest quarterly survey of Scottish construction industry employers, published today by the Scottish Building Federation (SBF). With the sector experiencing continued uncertainty about the outlook for 2010 and beyond, the survey suggests that further reductions in capacity can be expected this year but that these will hit apprentices particularly hard. The survey found that 24 % of
firms expect to have to reduce the size of their workforce in the course of 2010. Meanwhile, a quarter of those firms responding to the survey said they expected to employ fewer apprentices this year, but almost half anticipated being unable to employ any. Taken together, responses to the survey suggest that the number of
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apprentices in training this year could fall by a staggering 51 %. The news follows figures previously released by the SBF, indicating that more than 1,000 construction apprentices lost their jobs in 2009. Although poor, general industry confidence has been slowly recovering since the end of 2008. But the latest survey found that, for the first time since then, the sector’s overall confidence rating has actually deteriorated compared to the previous quarter, slipping from minus-20 to minus-21. Commenting on the survey
results, SBF Chief Executive Michael Levack said: “This latest survey of our membership emphasises that, in terms of recovery, Scottish construction still has a very long way to go. Since the beginning of 2008, we estimate more than 30,000 jobs have been lost from the industry. Our members are warning us to expect further job losses in 2010. Most worrying of all is the huge
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impact these continuing challenges are having on apprentice workers looking to pursue a career in construction. With the number of apprentices in training expected to fall by more than half this year, many trainees will be forced to leave the industry for good – and many more young people will be put off taking up a career in construction in the first place. That’s an absolute tragedy not just for our industry but for modern apprenticeships in Scotland more generally, almost half of which have traditionally been undertaken in the construction industry and associated trades.” Mr Levack reiterated previous
calls for reinforced Government action to support the construction industry: “We need to see action taken now to end this damaging outflux of skilled workers from Scotland’s building industry. We want to see a targeted and properly funded strategy
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specifically aimed at supporting modern apprenticeships in the construction sector. We want to see a National Infrastructure Investment Bank created to mobilise private sector funding for major projects such as the new Forth Crossing and, as a consequence, additional public money redirected towards building more affordable homes and new schools and hospitals. And we want to see a major increase in funding for home insulation and VAT on home building works slashed to 5 %, boosting the repair and maintenance sector and keeping more apprentices in training, developing valuable green skills. Our message is clear: Invest in the industry now or face a major shortage in skills and capacity and chronic cost inflation when the sector eventually does recover.”
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