8 INDUSTRY NEWS
National Federation of Builders and Scottish Building Federation announce merger plans
The National Federation of Builders (NFB) and the Scottish Building Federation (SBF), two of the country’s leading and longest-running construction trade associations, have announced that they plan to become “one organisation” in the future. Following a meeting of delegations from the two organisations’ boards held in Glasgow on 6 June, the NFB and SBF said that they plan to become a single organisation “in the next 18-24 months.” The announcement comes after “over two years of dedicated joint working,” said the two bodies, as well as the publication of a “partnership accord” in 2023. The NFB can trace its origins back to 1880 and is claimed to be the “foremost professional association of builders, contractors and house builders, offering unrivalled standards, services and advocacy to members across England and Wales.” The SBF was founded in 1895 and is the leading trade association representing the construction industry in Scotland, advocating for the interests of its members and promoting excellence in the sector.
Commenting on the announcement, chief executive of the NFB, Richard Beresford said: “We have long considered the SBF to be our ‘sister’ organisation and have enjoyed many decades of cordial relations, culminating in a signifi cant level of partnership working in recent years. As the construction sector continually adapts and changes, so too must those who represent it. Our two teams have worked hard together to get to this point, so we are delighted to announce that we now intend to become one. Our members will enjoy a greater range of services, a louder share of voice and a bigger network of like-minded colleagues.” Paul Mitchell, operations director at the SBF, added: “Through our ongoing partnership work, it is clear that SBF and the NFB share similar goals and ambitions
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for the construction industry. Both federations have collaborated diligently to reach this juncture and now is the right time to announce our plans to unify into a single entity.”
He continued: “The industry can suffer at times due to fragmentation or divisions that make it harder to secure the support we need. By joining together, we can maximise our infl uence on critical policy areas whilst also delivering signifi cantly enhanced services and benefi ts to our combined membership.”
Having made the commitment to join each other permanently, the NFB and SBF said they “will now intensify their work to prepare for the change and ensure that members are consulted to best preserve the spirit, heritage, traditions and identities of the two organisation’s respective sets of members.”
Birmingham restoration gains Master Builder award
Old Heaton House was “derelict, forgotten and unloved” – but a painstaking restoration by dedicated builders and craftspeople has breathed new life into a Georgian villa dubbed “the jewel in Birmingham’s crown.” Built in 1823 for William Cotterill, a wealthy Birmingham merchant, Old Heaton House was originally set in its own landscaped park. But a century of industrial activity around the site had left the house unlisted and at risk of demolition.
But in 2021, the building and the surrounding land was purchased by city developers Elevate Property Group, who then asked Vantage & Co to complete a restoration which would see the Midland- based constructor named Master Builder of the Year.
Vantage & Co managing director Stephen Rankin said the seven month long project had been a “labour of love” for the team working on it. He said: “Old Heaton House is one of only two Georgian villas remaining in the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter and it was a complete wreck. But we knew it could be something special.”
Elevate Property Group tasked the
Vantage & Co team with preserving as many original features as possible, while ensuring the fi nished property incorporated Elevate’s luxury and high- end signature features.
The house was an almost total ruin when the Vantage & Co team took over – it had taken Elevate several months to make it safe enough to work on. But the building revealed some “stunning” original features, including a large, hipped slate roof with a central well and a three-bay stone facade with an abundance of rendered details such as detailed cornicing at the eaves and moulded architraves to the windows. Working with D5 Architects, the brief was to restore the outside to a magnifi cent eorgian villa but create modern luxury on the inside that was in keeping with the period features but practical for 21st century living. The core building is 200 years old, and to bring it up to date with current Building egulations, the fi rm had to work closely with Building Control to make sure Old Heaton House would meet the highest standards of fi re safety, construction and insulation.” Once the structural renovation was completed, the interior design was completed by Blocc Interiors, “which created an ambience which seamlessly blends the old with the new.” The colour scheme and kitchen refl ect modern tastes, with plenty of grey and neutral tones, while the furniture, mirrors and rugs are fi rmly rooted in the houses Georgian heritage.
The award judges described the project as a “superb example of urban renaissance in practice’ and a ‘shining beacon of what can be done.”
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