INDUSTRY VOICE
BMF welcomes Green Homes Grant
The Builders Merchants Federation which represents manufacturers of building materials and merchants across the UK, hopes the Government’s new Green Homes Grant will create more jobs in this sector.
Around 80 per cent of the building products manufactured by its members, used in the construction of homes and buildings, are made in the UK. John Newcomb, BMF CEO, said: “We hope the Green Homes Grant will give renewed impetus to help people and companies move towards a low- or zero- carbon future in their homes and workplaces.
“With 80 per cent of building materials manufactured by our members in the UK, and much of the products sold through builders merchants at the heart of their local communities, this is an
important sector, which will be key to the recovery of our national economy.”
Total membership of the BMF stands at 751 members, who have combined sales of £38 billion and employ over 180,000 people in the building materials industry. Mr Newcomb added:
“Investment and innovation are happening every day across our members’ businesses.
“The sector makes a significant contribution to the economy and it’s important for us to reinforce the message of its value and importance.”
The Green Homes Grant is
BMF All Industry Conference comes home for 2021
THE BMF IS bringing the 2021 All Industry Conference home, with a dual centre event in Yorkshire from 17-20 June.
The main Conference business will take place at the award-winning Yorkshire Event Centre, outside Harrogate with the Gala Dinner held close by in the historic city of York.
In the year that the UK begins a new relationship with the European Union, the Conference theme Building Beyond Boundaries could not be more topical, as the country looks beyond traditional geographical boundaries to build new trading relationships, and the industry moves beyond the boundaries imposed by the Covid health crisis and responds to Government incentives to Build, Build, Build.
BMF Chief Executive, John Newcomb said: “In the wake of the disruption caused by Covid, and as the UK ends its current relationship with the
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in construction and is part of a wider plan to upgrade the nation’s buildings as the UK aims to reach zero net emissions by 2050. The BMF is working in
London Deputy Mayor hears expected to support 100,000 jobs from BMF
A new plastic
partnership with TrustMark, the Government endorsed quality scheme, to ensure quality in the programme’s supply chain. £2 billion has been earmarked for home upgrades, with a further £1 billion to improving the energy efficiency of public buildings. The grant will fund up to two thirds of the cost of home improvements up to £5,000 and will cover projects such as insulation of walls, floors and roofs to replacing windows with double or triple glazing. Low-carbon power options are also covered by the grant – which could save householders up to £600 a year on energy bills
EU, we were determined to demonstrate our support for Britain, by holding the All Industry Conference in the UK for the first time in 30 years. By bringing our premier Conference home we are putting cash back into the UK economy and assisting a sector that has been particularly badly affected in 2020. “Our industry thrives on networking and relationships and I know everyone was disappointed that this year’s event was, rightly, cancelled. We will have to be out of social distancing measures for the 2021 Conference to go ahead, but that is not a reason not to work towards a fantastic event to signal our confidence in the market’s ongoing recovery.”
Conference delegates will have the choice of two four-star Harrogate hotels – the Majestic and the Crowne Plaza – which together can accommodate 350 guests. A key difference to 2021 Conference programme is the addition of a Supplier Exhibition, replacing the Merchant/Supplier Exchange sessions. However, the three-day event will, of course, feature the popular Friday night dine-arounds and a full programme of social activities.
The Crystal Group will sponsor the BMF All Industry Conference for the second year. Other key sponsors include ACO, BMN, Kerridge Commercial Systems, Marsh Industries, Rockwool and SIG.
• For further details and to register your interest at this stage, please contact
june.upton@bmf.org.uk
packaging tax in 18 months’ time does
not include packaging used to transport imported goods, the BMF understands from plans published by the HMRC. In his Budget Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer unveiled plans for a Plastic Packaging Tax based on replies to previous public consultations. This new tax of £200 per tonne will apply from April 2022 to plastic packaging made in (or imported into) the UK that contains less than 30% recycled plastic. But the UK Government has decided that packaging used to transport imported goods should not fall with the scope of this new tax.
HMRC proposals concluded there are limited records of transport packaging used on imports such as pallets, crates and pallet wrap. Transport packaging is applied and removed a number of times, at different stages of the journey, by the transporter, to prevent physical handling & transport damage and to provide stability. The HMRC noted that importers have little control over (or even knowledge of) the amount or type of transport packaging used. and that a new burden to oblige firms to provide evidence of the recycled content of packaging would be disproportionate to the environmental impact of the packaging. This may change if advances in manufacturing or waste recovery make it feasible to include transport packaging in future policy - but not starting in April 2022.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2020
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