Government should recognise tradesmen’s positive contribution to homebuilding, says boss of payroll firm
Ian Anfield, MD of Bridlington-based CIS payroll company Hudson Contract says his company’s latest figures show there will always be a demand for highly skilled, safe and productive tradespeople in construction – the self-employed subcontractors.
He said: “Several trades are seeing record earnings even when housebuilding activity is relatively flat and way below government targets. If the new government and its agencies are serious about boosting output to around 300,000 new homes every year, they should recognise the positive contribution made by self-employed tradespeople, and not get sucked into constant criticism of them or their clients.
“An increase in housebuilding activity does not necessarily mean increasing the number of tradespeople by hundreds of thousands over the next few years.
“Construction is cyclical with peaks and troughs in the market. Companies will adapt and reorganise their resources to maximise the skills available to them on site. To suggest we can train or import an extra 40,000 people a year is just pie in the sky, so whatever happens, skilled subcontractors will always be in demand.”
He says subcontractors enjoyed record earnings across key trades last month, with pay for self-employed tradespeople up by 1.2 per cent to an average of £1,028 per week in August, the second highest on record. Year-on-year, earnings increased by 1.6 per cent compared to the same month in 2023.
Insulation trades saw the strongest growth, with earnings rising 7.3 per cent to a record-breaking £1,218 per week last month.
They were followed by bricklaying (up 4.6 per cent to £1,032); demolition (up 3.5 per cent to £1,025); and scaffolding (up 2 per cent to £975) subcontractors; all increasing to record levels.
Hudson’s pay trends analysis is based on payments made on behalf of circa 2,600 construction SMEs across England and Wales.
Lindum Group makes six directorship appointments
Lindum Group has appointed six new divisional directors from amongst its existing workforce.
In Lincoln, Nigel Parker and Stephen Roberts have been made Directors of Lindum Construction division.
In York, Lester Fisher, Gary Allen, and Dominic Kidd have been been made Directors of Lindum York.
And Group Health and Safety Manager Rob Wright has been promoted to Director of Health and Safety.
Group Co-Chair Freddie Chambers said the promotions recognise the hard work done by all in guiding, promoting and delivering Lindum’s commitment to teamworks and looking after clients.
“Each of these new directors has shown an unwavering commitment to our company values and to delivering outstanding results for our clients. Their leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of Lindum by driving our strategic objectives and enhancing the company’s capabilities to deliver high-quality, sustainable solutions for our clients.”
West Lindsey Council works with businesses to boost region’s tourism economy
Leisure and tourism businesses in West Lindsey are being offered free workshops designed to maximise the visitor economy in the district.
West Lindsey District Council is working with Unmissable England, who specialise in experiential tourism, to offer business support and training to tourism businesses across the country.
Two new free workshops are now available this autumn, via funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for West Lindsey businesses which are aimed at the leisure and tourism sector.
Cllr Lesley Rollings, Chair of Prosperous Communities and Corporate Policy Committee, said she is delighted that more free training has become available for businesses. She said: “Supporting our businesses is vital in stimulating the growth and development of the district. These workshops are a great opportunity to receive specialist advice from real tourism experts which in turn will add value to our visitor economy and further boost our fantastic offer”.
Chris Brant, Director & Experiential Tourism Advisor at Unmissable England, said: “I am thrilled to return to West Lindsey District to present these training workshops,” said Chris Brant, tourism advisor from Unmissable England. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to help local businesses enhance their marketing strategies and improve accessibility, ensuring a more inclusive and successful tourism experience for all.”
Full details of the workshop dates are on the West Lindsey District Council web site.
Yorkshire Water names contractors for £19.5m improvements near Keighley
Yorkshire Water is investing £19.5m in two schemes near Keighley to improve the water quality in the River Aire, alongside the resilience of the clean water network.
Marley wastewater treatment works is undergoing an £18m upgrade set to reduce the amount Phosphorus in the wastewater returned to the river Aire post treatment – improving the water quality of over 6.5km of the watercourse downstream of the works.
Contract partner Galliford Try is entering phase two of the project at Marley, which is a significant part of a £500m investment in Phosphorus reduction throughout Yorkshire, and work is expected to complete in early 2025. Phase one is being completed by Kier.
David Hobman, lead project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “These are important projects for the Keighley area and the Aire and Calder catchment, and we’re pleased to be making progress on each of them.
“It’s essential that we look after our rivers and help them to thrive – these works, which make up part of our wider investment in Phosphorous reduction across Yorkshire, will have a positive impact on the River Aire.”
Phosphorus is a normal part of domestic sewage, entering the sewer system via domestic showers and washing machines due to products such as shampoo and liquid detergent containing Phosphorus. It can also wash off from agricultural fields after the use of fertilisers and be dissolved from soil which can be difficult to control.
While a small amount of Phosphorus is harmless and is an essential part of many ecosystems, it can become damaging to human and animal life when unmanaged.
Meanwhile, Ponden Water Pumping Station, part of the clean water network, will receive a £1.5m upgrade, subject to planning approval.
Contract partners Barhale Enpure will be completing the refurbishment at the pumping station, which pumps raw water from Ponden reservoir to Oldfield Water Treatment Works for treatment. The works will enable the Oldfield site to take more water from Ponden reservoir to improve the resilience of the network.
North Yorkshire builders to be offered free hands-on advice about energy efficiency
Builders in North Yorkshire are being urged to take part in free hands-on building workshops to train in energy efficiency techniques.
As part of North Yorkshire Council’s Local Energy Advice Demonstrator project, retrofit training is being offered to help builders transform their approach to building design and construction and conform to Part L Building Regulations.
Part L provides guidance on energy efficiency and covers the thermal performance of a building’s fabric and heating systems.
The two half-day sessions, in Ricall in October and Hutton Rugby in November, will focus on the critical role of airtightness in modern building practices that will shape housebuilding and renovation into the future.
Delivered by an industry leading airtightness company, Partel, the courses will offer practical experience with membranes, tapes, airtight components and tools, and provide expert techniques and troubleshooting tips from industry experts.
The workshop will cover:
- Why buildings need to be more airtight
- Condensation risk
- Airtightness and ventilation
- How to build an airtight structure
- Retrofitting airtightness
- Breathability
- Specifying the correct product(s)
Sheffield Chamber moves to new offices
Sheffield Chamber of Commerce has relocated its headquarters to an eighth-floor space of almost 3,500 sq feet at Westfield House, fronting Charter Row and set in the heart of Sheffield’s city centre.
It will house not only the core Chamber team, but also colleagues from Sheffield International Trade Centre. The aim is to ensure the whole team sits under one roof, to greater streamline operations and benefit SCCI members.
The soon to be 22-strong team says the new environment, with its central and accessible location, emphasises its long-term commitment to supporting Sheffield’s vibrant business community and will make it easier to engage with existing and prospective members.
Louisa Harrison-Walker, Chief Executive of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said: “Our move to Westfield House marks an exciting new chapter for Sheffield Chamber. The new location embodies the energy and ambition of our city. Being positioned at Westfield House, near the very businesses and communities we support, is a testament to our commitment to driving growth and opportunity for all organisations here in Sheffield.
The move has been made possible with help from commercial property specialist Colloco, legal specialists Irwin Mitchell, IT infrastructure from ITS Technologies and FluidOne, and a generous donation of office furniture from Rider Level Bucknall and Westfield Health.
The Chamber is a not-for-profit organisation made up of a community of board members, council members, patrons, and champions. This community is where businesspeople from around the region can share their expertise and insight to shape what the Chamber has to say on prominent issues.
Inflation stands unchanged
Inflation came in at 2.2% in August, unchanged from July, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), the largest upward contribution to inflation came from air fares, which rose this year but fell a year ago; the largest offsetting downward contributions came from motor fuels, and restaurants and hotels.
Core inflation, meanwhile, which takes out volatile factors like energy, food, alcohol and tobacco to give a clear picture of underlying trends, was 3.6% in the 12 months to August 2024, up from the 3.3% in July.
Martin Sartorius, Principal Economist, CBI, said: “Inflation has fallen short of the Bank of England’s latest forecast expectations for the second month in a row. This will be welcomed by households and businesses, although they will still be feeling the pinch from three years of elevated costs growth.
“While the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee will be reassured by today’s data, they’re likely to remain wary of loosening policy too quickly. Inflation is expected to pick up later this year and domestic price pressures, such as wage growth, still pose an upside risk to the outlook. That should result in a gradual path for interest rate cuts going forward, with rates likely to stay unchanged this month.”
CITB levy voting arrangements anger Bridlington payroll company MD
Plans for levy proposals from the Construction Industry Training Board have angered Ian Anfield, MD of Bridlington-based CIS payroll company Hudson Contract.
Claiming that the CITB brand has become toxic, Mr Anfield believes voting arrangements are designed to produce a ‘yes’ vote to 2029 levy proposals.
The CITB is kicking off with webinars to present its levy proposals, and the consultation will run from 26 September to 24 October. The training board needs to secure industry support for another extension of its levy-raising powers beyond next year. The webinars will provide details of the new levy rates and introduce a shortening of the time between levy assessments being raised and payments being due.
But Mr Anfield said: “It’s ironic that the CITB plans to kick off its 2026 consensus online, yet when it comes to the actual vote it will rely on the age-old method of block voting by trade federations and phone calls to a small number of hand-picked levy payers.
“The consensus process, which hasn’t changed for decades, is a complete farce and clearly designed to produce a ‘yes’ vote. Worse, it allows a small number of large organisations to influence CITB policy, particularly regarding grants and funding. As a result, the CITB is stuck in a constant cycle of failure in its attempts to address the industry’s skills needs.
“Regarding the detail, we welcome the CITB’s U-turn on its plans to introduce an additional levy on the use of labour providers, which it announced last autumn for introduction in 2026. The CITB’s own research showed this levy would have disproportionately affected smaller and medium-sized contractors which are the lifeblood of the construction industry.”
Mr Anfield said the levy proposals missed opportunities to iron out existing unfairness in the levy and highlighted the following ongoing issues:
- It can result in the levying of plant and materials if paid net of CIS
- It can lead to double levying in supply chains
- It imposes levies on the use of electricians, plumbers and other trades that sit outside the CITB, so these trades are denied CITB grants and funding.
New Business Information Officer at Shipley Library’s Enterprise Hub to support local firms
A new Business Information Officer is now in post at Shipley Library’s Enterprise Hub to support local businesses.
The enterprise hub was officially opened in November last year, in former exhibition space at the library, which was transformed using an £80,000 grant from the Government-funded Shipley Towns Fund.
The new facility offers resources and advice to local businesses and start-ups, as well as being used for events, meetings and co-working. It is also part of the Leeds City Region’s Business and IP Centre’s local offering, which offers free advice to businesses based in West Yorkshire.
Muhammad Umair is now in post as the Business Information Officer, based at the hub. Umair explained: “Shipley has a really interesting and diverse business community and the hub is such an incredible space – our business start-up sessions have been proving very popular and it’s great to welcome so many people to co-work together and create networking opportunities.
“I am committed to providing comprehensive support to businesses of all sizes, from sole traders to established companies and entrepreneurs. Our services are designed to assist businesses at every stage of their journey, from the initial setup to essential aspects like bookkeeping, social media marketing, tax returns and advice on finances – including potential funding streams. We offer the guidance and resources necessary to ensure these businesses are fully prepared to succeed.”
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “The Enterprise Hub is an excellent resource for the local business community, particularly those starting-up or with newly-established businesses. The space is fully equipped for co-working, as well as having access to specialist business databases.”
Adam Clerkin, Chair of Shipley Towns Fund, said: “The towns fund is delighted to be funding the post of Business Information Officer and to welcome Umair to the role. We know he will be able to offer excellent advice and guidance to our business community, as well as training existing staff.
“Shipley has a thriving business community and we’re keen to support it. We’d invite everyone to come down and see what the resource has to offer and how the hub can support the success of all local businesses.”
Keighley’s new industrial hub on course for completion
Building work to complete the first phase of work at Providence Park industrial site in Keighley town centre is on course for completion by October this year.
The development of the former Universal Mills site, on the corner of Dalton Lane and Bradford Road, began in April 2023 and has received funding through the Government’s Keighley Towns Fund.
As well as housing industrial units, part of the site will be used by Keighley College as a Manufacturing, Engineering and Future Technologies Hub. The hub will be used to provide students with academic and practical experience, and achieve T-level qualifications.
Work is progressing well on the five buildings which will house the units – the smallest of which is 150 square metres with the largest at 828 square metres – and has included: the demolition of previous buildings and structures; full site remediation; installation of surface water management system; and the construction of units to let.
Part of the original mill building has also been retained and sympathetically converted to a unit suitable for a café or other retail use.
Tim Rogers, chair of the Keighley Towns Fund, said: “This is another very exciting commercial development for Keighley, and an incredible skills and training opportunity for the town through the creation of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Future Technologies Hub in partnership with Keighley College.
“We believe across the site between 80 to 100 jobs will be created, which is a real boost during the current economic climate, and we anticipate local businesses will be keen to link up with the hub to provide apprenticeships.”
The Keighley Towns Fund has set aside £6.5m towards the £12m re-development of the 7,000 square metre site.
Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Planning, Regeneration and Transport Alex Ross-Shaw said: “Demand for employment sites is huge across Keighley and the whole of the Aire Valley so this development is much needed and welcomed.
“The properties have full solar panel coverage and air source heat pumps which will provide sustainable heat and hot water across the site.
“There is some work still to complete such as some internal works to each unit, fencing and gates, final surfacing of parking areas and the installation of EV charging points but it is on course to finish as scheduled.”
Once the initial phase is finished in October this year, the college unit is to due to be completed by early 2025.
