The research, undertaken in association with the Zero Carbon Hub, looked at the potential savings that could be achieved by various newly built properties when compared to the typical Victorian homes found up and down the UK.

The results revealed that a new build 4 bed detached property could be 55% cheaper to run, saving £1,312 a year, whilst a 3 bed end terraced could be 52% cheaper, which would save £840. At the bottom end of the scale, a new 1 bed flat on the ground floor could be cheaper to run by 47%, making a total saving of £426.

One of the most positive revelations of the report, energy efficiency is seen to be an increasingly attractive feature of a home, with around 70% of those who took part in the survey indicating that a property described as ‘energy efficient’ made it all the more desirable. The survey also revealed that 96% of younger people in the 16-24 age range would be prepared to pay extra for a home that was energy efficient.

When it came to renewable energy technologies, again younger people (aged between 16 and 24) showed a keen interest in renting or buying properties with solar PV panels.

“Household energy usage is still one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions in the UK but the design of new homes means they are much more energy efficient than older housing stock,” commented Neil Jefferson, NHBC Foundation director and the chief executive of the Zero Carbon Hub.

“One of the clear findings [of the report] was that consumers need far more information about the cost savings they could make by living in an energy efficient home, before they will commit to living in one,” he added.

While the data is in no way guaranteed, it acts as a useful indication of the sort of financial savings that can be achieved long term. Once 2016 building regulations come in to play savings could very well increase to around £1,875 a year. These savings would mean a new home would be 80% cheaper to run in relation to a typical Victorian house.

But innovative schemes, like Architect in the House for example, are trying to tackle the ongoing housing crisis facing more and more families.  A fundraising initiative which has been running for some 16 years, Architect in the House sees the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) join forces with the charity Shelter to provide homeowners with expert advice to improve their home. In return for a suggested voluntary donation of £40  a local architect will essentially donate an hour of their time for a design consultation.

Donations will benefit Shelter’s work with families in housing crisis, with £40 helping to pay for a helpline adviser, whilst a donation of £75 could enable the charity to support a homeless family to settle into a new home.

With 1 in 7 children in Britain living in housing that’s either run down, overcrowded or simply temporary accommodation, Shelter’s work is vital when it comes to supporting families in housing need.

Last year, Architect in the House raised more than £113,000 for Shelter. Over 1,300 architects took part in the scheme which saw in excess of 3,200 homeowners sign up. It’s hoped that the 2012 initiative will be even more successful and raise even more money.

Homeowners have until 11 July to register for the scheme, and architect design consultations have to be undertaken before the end of November.

For more information about the scheme, visit http://www.architectinthehouse.org.uk

The system uses tracking tags employing remote sensing technology to track people and objects in real time thereby reducing accidents and helping to keep tabs on the location of important and valuable items.

Farnaz Sadeghpour, a civil engineering professor at Calgary University developed the system with the aid of graduate student Reza Maalek. Professor Sadeghpour said that most construction accidents occur because of workers clashing with equipment or people or objects falling off edges and that the new system will help to address both issues. The new technology is still undergoing development but researchers aim to enable the system to trigger an alarm when builders move too close to a piece of equipment or an object or construction worker is too close to an edge. The alarm could take the form of a mobile phone warning or an announcement from the worksite tannoy system.

In 2009 a three year old girl was killed in Calgary when a sheet of corrugated steel fell from an office tower. There have been numerous incidents like this over the years all around the world and the new system could help to prevent such accidents from occurring in the future.

“My prediction is that if it works here very well, and it’s showing good results so far, it will work in a construction site” said Professor Sadeghpour. “Safety is everybody’s job and I think it’s everybody’s concern.”

The system could also ensure that materials are properly secured and kept in safe locations while also helping to prevent theft and assisting with inventory management. However, there could be certain ethical issues to be overcome as some builders would not relish the thought of their every movement being tracked in such a manner. Reza Maalek nevertheless believes there’s an easily available solution to this problem. “If it’s, in terms of safety applications of the workers, we’re hoping that this will be used in the near future, because we don’t need to fully track everywhere on the site” Maalek said. “We could just track the places that are dangerous.”

A key factor in helping this research to progress successfully has been the decreasing cost of ultra-wideband technology which could one day be used more generally as a means of keeping track of important and valuable items.

The Green Construction Board (GCB), which was established back in November, will benefit from the funding. The GCB was established by the construction industry and the Government to help grow the sustainable construction sector. With seven working groups, it is made up of more than 160 voluntary representatives from industry and the Government. Board members include building service engineers, insurers, property agents and architects, as well as a representative from the Department of Energy and Climate Change. One of the most recent appointments includes Chris Hopkins, managing director of renewable energy firm Ploughcroft, which specialises in a range of green energy solutions including solar PV, solar thermal and heat pump technologies.

Commenting on the funding, the Business Minister – who co-chairs the GCB – said: “The Government is determined to maximise the opportunities for UK construction in sustainable development. This money will enable the board to take forward a large programme of activities through the voluntary contributions of many people from the industry, who are keen to engage with us regularly to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.”

The GCB is tasked to deliver the Government’s Low Carbon Construction Action Plan which aims to decarbonise the property, construction and infrastructure sectors. It also exists to do, amongst other things:

• Act as a sounding board for Government departments for new or challenging green consultation issues to facilitate effective policy making and better informed commercial decisions.

• Promote UK achievements in the green construction sector and to provide a strong public voice on its wider value to the economy and the environment.

• To advise on the implementation of policies which relate to green construction.

Green construction is a growing industry, and it’s important that those trained in traditional construction techniques are able to adapt their skills accordingly.

The case against Roberts and Prowse (Swindon) Ltd by the Health and Safety Executive saw the firm plead guilty after 18-year-old Richard O’Connor was injured back in February 2010 whilst working for the company. In breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, they were ordered to pay £5,156 in legal costs by Swindon Magistrates.

Whilst undertaking electrical installation work at The Platform Youth centre in Swindon, O’Connor fell onto an exposed plasterboard ceiling which gave way under his weight, causing the young apprentice to fall some 18 ft. As a result of the accident O’Connor’s vertebrae was fractured in three places and he received numerous cuts and bruises, which meant he was off work for a period of two months.

The incident happened because the firm failed to undertake the correct risk assessment for the work, and in doing so failed to implement adequate measures in order to reduce the risk of a fall.

Supporters of a VAT cut claim that cutting the rate, currently 20%, to a much lower rate of 5% would have important benefits for the UK economy including the creation of thousands of jobs. It would boost economic growth, bring thousands of empty properties back into use, improve the energy efficiency of the UK housing stock thereby reducing fuel poverty and protect consumers and businesses by helping to drive away rogue traders.

The UK has been suffering from a slow recovery during the current recession, particularly in the construction sector where output fell faster than the economy as a whole. A number of forecasts predict there will be no firm recovery in the construction industry until at least 2014. According to the Office for National Statistics, 249,000 jobs have been lost in the sector since 2007 and this risks exacerbating the existing trade skills gap. Meanwhile, 700,000 homes lie empty in England alone, properties that could be occupied if the necessary home improvement and refurbishment work was carried out on them. A reduction in VAT the campaign argues could bring such properties back into the housing stock rather than building on greenbelt land and adding to urban sprawl.

Existing homes contribute to at least 27% of the UK’s current carbon emissions and there is a considerable amount of work to be done if the country is to meet its carbon targets in 2020.

Supporters of the campaign include Plaid Cymru, the Scottish National Party and a substantial number of industry organisations including the Builders Merchants Federation, the National Home Improvement Council, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RCIS) and the UK Green Building Council. Rural and environmental organisations supporting the campaign include the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), the Countryside Alliance and the National Trust.

Unfortunately in the budget this year, the government proved it wasn’t listening to VAT campaigners, pledging instead to end the current zero rate of VAT for alterations to listed buildings and raise it to the standard rate. The effect on historic buildings throughout the UK would be extremely serious and a campaign has been launched to try and persuade the government not to go ahead with this. In the EU however, a law has been passed which allows member states to reduce VAT to 5%.

The incident occurred at Rossway Road, Kirkcudbright, on Tuesday 1^st May. The 89 year old elderly woman answered her door to find two workmen who told her that substantial work needed to be carried out on her roof. The cost for the roofing ‘work’ turned out to be very expensive and one of the men even had the nerve to escort the lady to two local banks in order to ensure she withdrew the money. Bank staff became suspicious and contacted the police but by then the men had escaped.

The pensioner was left extremely stressed and depressed and the police fraud and financial investigation unit is now liaising with the woman’s family in an attempt to track the criminals down. The police fear that other homes in the area may have been similarly targeted since there have been other reports of workmen in Kirkcudbright calling at people’s homes and saying their roof needs attention.

Sgt Johnstone of Kirkcudbright Police said: “This is an utterly despicable crime and we are eager to trace this team of criminals before anyone else is targeted. These types of criminals can be difficult to track as they are mobile and constantly move around the country targeting different areas before moving to another location. For that reason we need the help of the local community, if you see any suspicious workmen in your area, do not hesitate to call us.”

Bogus workmen often target elderly and vulnerable people, particularly if they live alone. “If you are not convinced that any workman in your area is reputable” added Sgt Johnstone “…call us immediately with as much information as possible, such as their appearance, accent and detail of any vehicle they are using, such as make, model and registration plate.”

You can protect yourself against bogus workmen by refusing to answer doorstep callers, refusing to buy from anyone calling at your door and only dealing with workmen by appointment. Most tradesmen should carry a legitimate form of identification and they will not mind you making further enquiries if necessary. You can also have a door chain or door bar fitted. Be sure to report any suspicious callers to the local Trading Standards Department.

Figures released by Lloyds TSB a few days ago report that spending on DIY in the UK has fallen to its lowest levels for 15 years. Households spent £7.8 billion last year which equates to around £300 per household. That figure is the lowest since records began reports The Daily Mail. It is also half of the £15.5 billion we spent as a nation at the height of the housing boom in 2004.

The plunge in spending has been attributed to stagnant house prices and the spending squeeze prompted by rising energy bills and the resulting economic uncertainty. Householders feel very disinclined to carry out home improvement work and the mood has also spread to tradesmen who have had to endure a drop in trade of around 40% since 2001. The figures show that in real terms eight out of the last ten years have seen falling spending. They also demonstrate how spending on DIY often acts as a window on the state of the housing market as a whole.

“Consumers have been experiencing the biggest squeeze on their discretionary income for over a year” said Suren Thiru, a housing economist at Lloyds TSB.  “Couple that with a very subdued housing market, and it is unsurprising that so many are cutting back on home improvements. With economic conditions expected to remain challenging, the current squeeze on spending on both DIY and tradesmen is likely to continue for some time yet.”

The stricken DIY sector has also seen the fall of a number of retail chains such as Focus DIY which collapsed in May 2011 with the closure of 120 stores and the loss of 3,000 jobs. Shortly after the chain’s collapse, Simon Allport of Ernst & Young commented: “UK retailers are facing one of the most challenging retail environments in recent times and the DIY sector has become highly competitive, with only the strongest players being able to thrive and survive.”

Meanwhile, research figures from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) shows that over a third of administrations during the last quarter were homeware retailers.

The national shortfall in homes will reach 750,000 by 2025 it has been predicted. Meanwhile a new report by the National Self Build Association claims that part of the solution lies in self-build with an increase in mortgage support for those who want to build their own house. The government has responded to the situation by teaming up with the self-build industry providing a new website which contains all the information you need to start your own new build project. The website, selfbuildportal.org.uk, also includes a postcode calculator so that you can work out how much it will cost to build a house in your local area.

Grant Shapps, the Housing Minister, believes that self-build needn’t be as expensive as television programmes like to portray. “It’s an idea whose time has come” he says. “At any moment, two million people in Britain are investigating the idea of building their own houses. But too many of these projects are halted before they can get started. The average cost of a ready-made home is now more than £232,000, but a budget of £150,000 is usually adequate to build a three to four-bedroom house. Fourteen thousand self-build homes were constructed in the UK last year, just one in 10 new homes, a figure which lags behind the rest of Europe.”

Shapp wants to double the size of the UK’s self-build sector and he wants key figures in the industry to help him. Lately he has recruited architect George Clarke, the BBC’s “Restoration Man”, as well as historian Dan Cruikshank and Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud. Kevin in particular knows the various pitfalls of self-build since he has spent 13 years advising people and helping them to build their own homes. “Often people think of self-build as long, difficult and self-sacrificing,” he comments “But with the right planning, help and support it can be an enjoyable process.”

The website is also designed to assist community housing projects which are also increasing in popularity. The way this works is that self-builders build a ‘base unit’ with all the utilities connected in. McCloud definitely likes that idea. “It’s good news for home builders, and also good for the landscape because people will have more architectural input” he says. “Self-build homes are often more ecologically sound, so it could also be beneficial for the environment.”

The government’s new found enthusiasm for self-build isn’t without controversy as new relaxed planning laws have raised concerns about the impact of new housing on the environment, but McCloud is enthusiastic nevertheless. “It would be great if we could become a nation of self-builders” he muses. “Like the Dutch, the French, the Germans, the Italians, the Swedish – the list goes on – we have lagged behind so far, but there’s no reason why we can’t catch up. Self-build is a dream that can stay with you through your whole life.”

High Storrs school’s first headmaster took up his post in 1910 at a site elsewhere in the city when it was known as the Central Grade School. The present school was first occupied in the 1933 having relocated although its former pupils are still known as ‘Old Centralians’. The school specialises in the teaching of performing arts although it also teaches mathematics and computing. The recent renovations have cost £26 million and were carried out with the intention of rescuing the original 1930’s ‘art-deco’ style of the building. As a result the school has won a gold award at this year’s North East LABC Building Excellence Awards competition.

The work was carried out by Vinci Construction with assistance from Sheffield City Council and various other partners. Specialist architects restored the entrance hall and reception area and attention was also given to the main assembly hall and stage. The whole project was designed by BDP Architects and it includes a new teaching  and administration block and a new sports hall in addition to the restoration of the Grade II listed building on Ringinglow Road.

“This award acknowledges the significant efforts that have been made by the entire project team not just at High Storrs but on all our Building Schools for the Future projects” said council officer Daniel Ladbury.

The project featured innovative construction techniques such as the Wienerberger Porotherm block single-skin wall system with Knauf protection plastering. Porotherm is a highly engineered clay block and the school was one of the first sites in the UK to use it. Porotherm blocks improves acoustics and enables building firms to cut down on wall thickness while also reducing secondary steelwork.

“We are delighted to have won the award.” said Keith Shivers, Vinci Constructions Regional Director for Building District North. “Working with VINCI Construction UK Technology Centre enabled us to anticipate and address any construction problems and present solutions for the future for High Storrs School. We worked closely with High Storrs and the city council to ensure we delivered a learning facility that sustained their heritage yet fully met their future demands. We strive for excellence in all projects we undertake. We deliver exceptional facilities that are not only fit for the 21st century but are environmental and sustainable.”

Headteacher Ian Gage commented: “We count ourselves as very lucky to have such a modern and up to date school thanks to the BSF programme, while at the same time being able to keep the fabulous and distinctive exterior façade which makes this building stand out from any other school.”