Property & Construction

Attracting and retaining skills in the sector is going to be one of the biggest challenges. We need 300,000 new homes in this country and the government is pumping a lot of money into this, but to achieve this goal we need a continual pipeline of skills. We’re gradually moving into a more environmentally friendly world and housing is a big part of this. For example, many people are switching from traditional gas boilers to the hydrogen equivalent.

“Technology is now widely acknowledged as an essential tool in construction firms’ armoury. Nowadays it’s difficult to win work, or even qualify for new bids, if you can’t demonstrate that you’re using technology.

“At Access Construction, we listen to the needs of the industry. We develop and sell software solutions so that we can help companies to capitalise on market opportunities.”

Designed specifically to meet the needs of the building sector, Access Construction’s two core products – award-winning Easybuild ERP and ConQuest estimating software – are guaranteed to make life a lot easier for construction firms and their staff.

A much slicker alternative to using spreadsheets to capture vital data on construction projects, these software solutions enable companies to have visibility of projects in real-time, as well as better control over costs and accuracy on estimates.

While technology is driving growth in construction, the industry faces some tough challenges – notably, price hikes in the supply chain and a shortage of materials and skills. Carol says: “Attracting and retaining skills in the sector is going to be one of the biggest challenges. We need 300,000 new homes in this country and the government is pumping a lot of money into this, but to achieve this goal we need a continual pipeline of skills.

“It’s an exciting sector to be in; I should know as I’ve spent three decades in it! We need to go out to schools and universities to educate people that this is a great career choice.”

Anna West also promotes the benefits of property and construction-related careers in her role as Director of Talent and Relationships at MCP Property Services in Hertford – a position she has held for the last four years. Established in 1978, MCP is a privately owned family business that delivers professional services to the social housing sector. These include responsive repairs, maintenance roofing repairs, adaptations, installations, servicing of equipment, and compliance with current health and safety legislation. With around 140 employees on its books, MCP completes in excess of 72,000 orders every year.

Anna says: “Our engineers and operatives are often the face of the housing provider when visiting residents in their homes and are uniquely placed to listen to their concerns and improve their quality of life. We are committed to sustaining high levels of service through reliability, quality and value, believing that we should always provide the same quality of workmanship to a resident’s home as we would our own. “We were affected by COVID as many of our housing association clients limited us to essential repairs only. Now we’re dealing with the backlog so we have a lot of work on the go!

“There has been much media attention on the quality of stock run by some housing associations but the properties that we work on are of a high standard. The government has produced a White Paper on housing, with the basic message that everyone should be able to live in a safe, warm and dry home. We share this view and we’re very much part of the solution; our excellent repair and maintenance teams work tirelessly to improve housing standards across London and South East England.” Sustainability is a big buzz word in the property and construction industries, and homes are now expected to conform to more stringent environmental standards.

Anna says: “We’re gradually moving into a more environmentally friendly world and housing is a big part of this. For example, many people are switching from traditional gas boilers to the hydrogen equivalent. There’s a general desire among the public to do their bit to tackle climate change and government legislation is also pushing the sustainability agenda, particularly in relation to the property sector.”

The sector is currently grappling with various supply chain issues, with spiralling material costs and people shortages two of the biggest challenges. “The cost of both is going up,” says Anna. “We can’t control material costs but we can do our best to retain staff so we’re not having to go through the expensive process of replacing them.

“We’re confident about the future. There’s an opportunity to do things differently and make a positive difference to people’s lives. We’re well placed to do this as we’ve been around for four decades and know the market inside out.

“We’re proud of our long heritage and the high quality of our workmanship. At our core, we respect and care for people, their homes and their communities and we demonstrate this through the consistently high standards of our work and the values that we uphold. We believe that everyone should feel at their safest when at home. That’s why we’re passionate about delivering an outstanding service to our clients and customers, working in partnership with them to strengthen relationships and support residents.”

Hertfordshire Building Control (HBC) is another company that demonstrates an unwavering commitment to offering a first-class customer service. Providing a complete local authority statutory building control approval service across Hertfordshire, HBC’s team of qualified surveyors work with builders, architects and agents to ensure that every building project achieves approval with minimum disruption.

Cont. >>>

Naturally, COVID-19 caused some disruption, both to HBC and many of its projects, but the company says it is recovering nicely from what was a testing period.

Simon Heywood, MD of HBC, says: “We lost 70% of our work during the COVID crisis but things have gone well for us since then. In our 2020-21 financial year, work levels were at 115% compared to levels seen in 2019-20.

“Many people who remained in work during lockdown built up a pot of disposable income and are using it to fund building projects. If they’re now working from home, for example, they might need additional space and decide to convert their loft into an office.

“There’s lots of movement in the housing sector, particularly in Hertfordshire, where there are 100,000 new homes planned. There’s also a skills shortage within our industry, but hopefully with modern methods of construction becoming more popular this can be offset to an extent, as it requires fewer people to build properties. Also, more firms are using technology to automate processes, so again another potential way of getting around the skills problem. The industry still needs to invest in talent though, especially as some construction workers went back home to their home countries after Brexit and haven’t returned. At HBC, we’re recruiting surveyors at undergraduate level and sponsoring them through both degree and professional level courses because we see the value in developing our skills base for the future.”

Those who work in the industry will need to be aware of draft regulations aimed at identifying, preventing, managing and regulating higher-risk buildings and building safety risks. Hailed as the most radical change to building safety regulations in a generation, the Building Safety Bill is a response to the Grenfell Tower disaster and is likely to receive royal assent in 2022. Simon says: “Building surveyors will need to do things differently and become licenced to work on all types of buildings, for example. They’ll need to be assessed for their competency to work on different types of projects. After Grenfell, the majority of people who work in building control support these changes. There’s a recognition that we need to equip people with skills to work on high-rise tower blocks as well as small domestic buildings.

“As well as keeping abreast of legislative changes, HBC is also looking at ways of becoming more sustainable. We aim to become zero carbon within the next couple of years in terms of how we deliver our services, and part of that will be planning to use electric vehicles and reduce unnecessary travel.

Building surveyors will need to do things differently and become licenced to work on high-rise buildings, for example. They’ll need to be assessed for their competency to work on these types of projects.

“We’ve adapted well to all of these changes and we’ve expanded our business, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Now we have 80 staff including 50 surveyors; five years ago, we had just 26 surveyors. That’s an impressive growth rate, especially at a time when recruitment in the industry has been difficult. With all of the changes going on, it’s an exciting industry to join.”

Hertfordshire: shaping a future of opportunity

HERTFORDSHIRE GROWTH BOARD is the way the county is now working together to manage growth. With the Hertfordshire population expected to rise by up to 175,000 by the mid-2030s, at least 100,000 new homes and jobs will need to be created over the same period to address those needs. This brings opportunities and challenges. Hertfordshire Growth Board is ready to respond.

Hertfordshire Growth Board is made up of the County Council, the 10 district and borough councils, the NHS Integrated Care System, Homes England and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Working together is how we continue our ‘joint’ success and create opportunities for everyone, now and in the future.

Formed in 2018, Hertfordshire Growth Board brings political, civic, health and business leadership together to take a long-term place leadership perspective for Hertfordshire’s growth. The Growth Board is a statutory body that speaks for Hertfordshire and operates with the aim to deliver the high-quality, sustainable and inclusive places and infrastructure needed by our residents and businesses over the next 15 years and beyond. A history of partnership working has been formalised through the Growth Board and its main purpose is to plan appropriately and respond effectively to key challenges through strong, clear leadership and governance. The scale of growth facing Hertfordshire is significant as our population grows. The Growth Board is perfectly placed to ensure that this hugely significant longterm countywide development is delivered in a fully collaborative and planned way so that sustainable, well-designed and thriving communities are created, maintained and strengthened, while our environment is respected and nurtured. Over 2022 we will continue to support Hertfordshire’s economic recovery and the Growth Board will be instrumental in: • supporting the growth of our key economic sectors in film and TV; advanced manufacturing and cell and gene therapeutics; • influencing the pace of delivery and the quality of development across the county; • setting a long-term place-based vision; • continuing to engage with the development and construction sector to deliver positive growth across the region. The Hertfordshire Infrastructure & Development Board has been established to create a meaningful link between the Growth Board’s constituent local authorities and the development and construction sector, with the primary aim of working in partnership to deliver sustainable economic growth and high quality placemaking.

Richard Roberts, Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader of Hertfordshire

County Council, said: “Our ambition is to create a cleaner, greener and healthier county, to nurture and maintain thriving communities in which everyone can learn, work and live well. The creation of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Development Board is also vital to this, as we look to work as closely and as effectively as possible with the development and construction industry to make that ambition a reality.”

Keep up with our progress and find out about our programme of events at hertfordshiregrowthboard.com. Join the conversation on Twitter: @hertsgoodgrowth

Hertfordshire a sustainable future

Hertfordshire Growth Board brings political, civic, health and business leadership together to manage future growth. Working to create thriving, greener and healthier communities.

Overcoming today’s challenges and shaping opportunities for tomorrow.

Find out how we are building a sustainable future for all of our residents and businesses:

www.hertfordshiregrowthboard.com Twitter: @hertsgoodgrowth

Longmores enjoys benefits of Chamber Patron status

RICHARD GVERO Joint Senior Partner and Head of Commercial and Employment at Longmores Solicitors, explains how being a patron of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is creating new networking opportunities for the firm…

How long have you been a Chamber Patron?

Longmores has been a member for 25 years and patron for the last seven so we feel part of the family these days.

Why did you sign up for Patron status?

We were already very involved in Chamber events but wanted to support and get closer to such an important business group and play a greater part in our local business community. The Chamber is the premier business organisation in the county.

What benefits do you get from it?

The Patronage provides us with many business development opportunities, including the webinars and seminars that we put on for members to assist them with some of the key legal issues they face. We are proud to support and judge the prestigious Inspiring Herts Awards, which brings to the forefront the best of Hertfordshire businesses. The “peer to peer” introductions are also a valuable way of building relationships with other Chamber members, as are the special networking opportunities afforded to Patrons.

How do you find working with the Chamber?

As I say, the Chamber is the premier business group in the county. It is led by an inspirational CEO, Briege Leahy and the first-class Chamber team, including Mary Sykes and Alison White. They have been so very supportive and are why the Chamber is now such an important and successful body with fast-growing membership.

How is Longmores recovering from the pandemic? Are you confident about your prospects for 2022?

We are grateful that business has been extremely strong throughout the pandemic thanks to our fantastic staff and clients. We feel privileged to have been able to help our clients during these extremely difficult times and are proud of the part that we have played in their continued success.

We are quietly confident that next year will be just as successful for us, although we appreciate that these are uncertain times and one should be cautious about making predictions!

The Patronage provides us with many business development opportunities, including the webinars and seminars that we put on for members to assist them with some of the key legal issues they face.

Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney

for Business Owners

CHARLES FRASER, Head of the Older and Vulnerable Clients team at Longmores, has 25 years’ experience of advising families and their businesses. Here he answers some typical questions about Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney for business owners.

Please note the contents of this article are given for information only and must not be relied upon. Legal advice should always be sought in relation to specific circumstances. Q Do I need a Will?

AA question often asked by clients is whether they need a Will if they intend to leave everything to their surviving spouse. The simple answer to this is “yes”. Assets that qualify for Business Property Relief should be left as specific legacies in your Will in order to maximise the tax advantages.

QShould I leave business assets

in a trust or give them to my spouse or children?

AMuch will depend on the circumstances of your particular family and what you would like to achieve. Gifting assets that qualify for Business Property Relief (BPR) to a discretionary trust enables assets to pass into the trust without paying Inheritance Tax. These assets can then be bought from the residue so that the business assets are then in the survivor’s estate. On the survivor’s death BPR would be available on the business assets again. The assets in the discretionary trust, however, will be subject to a much lower rate of Inheritance Tax. This is often known as “double-dipping”.

QWhat is a Business Lasting Power

of Attorney?

AMany clients will have considered having a Lasting Power of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs (LPA) in relation to their personal assets. You may, however, want to deal with your business assets differently. There may be regulatory reasons which prevent your spouse being your attorney for your business, but you would not want your business partner to deal with your personal matters. In order to achieve this, a separate LPA is necessary appointing different Attorneys. This type of LPA has grown in popularity over recent years and ensures that your business needs are met. If you are the sole decision maker in relation to your business, having a back-up may be a necessity, especially if you employ staff.

QWho can run the payroll if I am

not around?

AMuch will depend on how your business is set up, what authority is given to your bookkeeper or accountant, and what arrangements you have in place now. If you are temporarily incapacitated your Attorney will be able to make decisions on your behalf and authorise payments if you are a sole trader.

QDo I need a Shareholder Agreement?

AIf you own shares with others you may wish to consider having a Shareholder Agreement which limits who the shares can be sold to, and who may be entitled to inherit shares. The agreement may also specify whether shares must be offered to other shareholders or family members before being sold to somebody else. Lastly, Shareholder Agreements may limit who may be the beneficiary of your shares under your Will and therefore it is important that you look at your Will and Shareholder Agreement at the same time.

Tried and trusted since 1819

A progressive firm of specialist solicitors advising individuals, families and businesses

• www.longmores.law • 01992 300333 • enquiries@longmores.law • 24 Castle Street Hertford SG14 1HP

Huge opportunities for Hertfordshire SMEs in the wake of COP26

With the highly-anticipated United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) all wrapped up, what has been the takeaway for Hertfordshire businesses and where does the local economy go from here?

At November’s conference in Glasgow, Britain’s largest businesses were demonstrably leading the global transition to net zero emissions, significant in itself but also in how these changes will filter through the whole supply chain. Opportunities for Hertfordshire businesses to attract investment, create jobs and lower costs in the green economy are immense. Confederation of British Industry Director General Tony Danker said: “Record levels of CEO attendance at COP26 indicates that net zero is no longer about reputation, but about commercial opportunity. Businesses are ready, willing and able to deliver a net zero world. Those who fail to embrace net zero will get left behind.”

Race to Zero

Already, 60 FTSE 100 companies and 2,000 small businesses have signed up to the United Nation’s Race to Zero campaign, a global alliance committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Business and Industry Minister Lee Rowley said: “With over 2,500 UK companies joining the Race to Zero, including the majority of our largest firms, the UK is leading the way in showing how going green doesn’t just make sense for the planet - it makes business sense too.” This is welcome news to Herts IQ who, in partnership with Prologis, secured a visit from the Planet Mark ‘Carbon Battle Bus’ which toured the UK to drum up support for Race to Zero ahead of COP26. To coincide with the visit, Herts IQ published 10 tips to help your business reach net zero carbon including calculating your carbon footprint and reducing waste.

Finance and Pensions

On Finance Day at COP26, the Chancellor of the Exchequer unveiled plans for the UK to become the first “Net Zero Aligned Financial Centre” where financial institutions and listed companies would be legally required to publish net zero transition plans. Pensions also came under the spotlight with Work and Pensions Secretary of State Thérèse Coffey saying they could be a superpower that delivers prosperity for people and the planet in the race to net zero. Therefore, businesses who are looking for, and supported by, pension and investment funds, will increasingly need to demonstrate a real and positive social and environmental impact with regards to their investment decisions.

Clean energy

UK-led efforts at COP26 signalled the end of the fossil fuel era with more than 40 countries pledging to phase out coal power while scaling up clean power generation. Chris Stark, chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, said: “The writing is on the wall for fossil fuels now. We are in a new period of action and if that is the legacy of Glasgow, I will be delighted.” Under the Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy, carbon emissions from the UK’s 30 million homes and workplaces will be significantly cut in simple, low-cost and green ways. Initiatives include a Boiler Upgrade Scheme and heat pump grants of up to £5,000. Initiatives will not only save money on energy bills and improve lives but support green skills. Hertfordshire Growth Hub’s Low Carbon Workspace scheme provides grants to SMEs for measures including insulation, LED lighting, boilers, heat pumps, solar PV and electric vehicles to help SMEs improve energy efficiency. In addition, the Government’s Energy Technology List names over 14,000 energy efficient plant and machinery products that businesses might want to check out before making a new purchase.

Government policy

10 Point Plan, which will mobilise £12 billion of government investment to create up to 250,000 highly skilled green jobs. The UK Net Zero Strategy sets out a clear path to net zero emissions by 2050, leveraging up to £90 billion of private investment by 2030 and securing 440,000 well-paid jobs. Exporting is encouraged through the Clean Growth programme while bidders for major public sector contracts must now publish a plan to achieve net zero by 2050. To date, the UK has decarbonised faster than any other G7 country and was the first major economy to commit in law to net zero by 2050. Let’s keep the momentum going!

Herts IQ Stats

of business energy consumption happens outside of 46% normal working hours. It is worth/buying leasing an Electrical Vehicle if you travel more than UK carbon dioxide emissions from transport were almost

5,000 business miles per year

20% lower in 2020 than in 2019.

With a correctly-sized and properlyinstalled solar photovoltaics system, your investment should pay for itself in 4-5 years.

of people want to work for a company with a strong social conscience, a PWC survey found.

65%

Planet Mark’s Carbon Battle Bus visit to Hemel Hempstead

The electricpowered Carbon Battle Bus visited 120 towns and cities across the UK, including Hemel Hempstead, in the lead up to COP26, finishing at the conference’s host city, Glasgow.

Over 7,500 people have attended Zero Carbon Tour workshop events.

Businesses shared their success stories to inspire others to join the Race to Zero make the pledge to cut carbon, take practical actions to achieve this and communicate the results. Sign-up to Race to Zero by visiting www.businessclimatehub.org

Nearly 200 Carbon Stories gather so far. Visit www.carboncopy.eco

Race to Zero

Businesses commit to halve emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the very latest.

A coalition of 733 cities, 31 regions, 3,067 businesses, 173 of the biggest investors, and 622 Higher Education Institutions, 120 countries. The SME Climate Change Hub (www.businessclimatehub.org) and The Carbon Trust Guide (www.carbontrust.com/resources/ the-journey-to-net-zero-for-smes) have lots of advice to help SMEs halve emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero.

Hertfordshire Growth Hub’s ondemand YouTube video (www. hertsgrowthhub.com/newsblogs/50381-Net-Zero-andSustainability-Resources) helps businesses demonstrate their sustainability measures.

SMEs can access funding from Eastern New Energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects via Hertfordshire Growth Hub (www.hertsgrowthhub.com/ news-blogs/50089-Grant-FundingAvailable-for-Small-Businesses-toHelp-Deliver-Cost-Savings).

Herts IQ’s 10 tips (www.herts-iq. co.uk/10-tips-to-help-yourbusiness-reach-carbon-net-zero) on reaching net zero include only buying from businesses taking action on climate change to switching to a green energy supplier.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Chamber Patrons Wagada Digital Scoop Second Win at UK Search Awards

St Albans based digital marketing agency WAGADA DIGITAL are celebrating after winning the UK Search Awards accolade for Best Low Budget Campaign (SEO) at the 2021 ceremony held in London on the 16th November.

The awards, which have been

recognising the search industry’s expertise, talent, and achievements for over a decade, are regarded as the biggest celebration of SEO, PPC, and Content Marketing in the UK. The standard of entries is notoriously high and the judging panel of leading industry experts has rigorous criteria when selecting their finalists and winners, including looking for evidence of clear objectives, creative implementation, and tangible results.

Wagada Digital were finalists in three categories including Best Use of Search (Health) for their work with B&M Care which saw them supporting the elderly care home group to more than double their weekly enquiries during the pandemic, and Best Small SEO Agency. In the Best Low Budget Campaign (SEO) category, it was their results for another Hertfordshire company, Entertainment Effects Group, that impressed. The ambitious campaign propelled their site to the top of Google search for the competitive “fireworks” search term and generated an additional 300 leads for the business. Cheryl Luzet, CEO of Wagada Digital says: “Huge congratulations to all the finalists and winners at this year’s UK Search Awards. “The whole team at Wagada Digital is delighted to receive this Award which highlights our SEO skills and expertise. “For our client to get these amazing results shows that you don’t need to spend a huge amount of money for a digital marketing campaign to be truly effective.” This is the second UK Search Award for Wagada Digital after they won the Best Use of Search (Health) category in 2018 and comes off the back of a successful night at the Chamber’s Inspiring Herts Awards in September, where they picked up prizes in the Digital Campaign of the Year and Workplace Wellbeing categories. Cheryl added, “2021 was our 10th anniversary year and we are so proud of what we have achieved. The team are dedicated to getting results and we are grateful to have been able to work with some fantastic clients as well as for all the support from the Hertfordshire Chamber and our partners. We’re looking forward to 2022!” Wagada Digital work with ambitious businesses that are looking to grow. They offer a full range of digital marketing services including Strategy, SEO, Content Marketing, Social Media and PR. They are also Google and HubSpot Certified Partners.

Find out more at www.wagada.co.uk The whole team at Wagada Digital is delighted to receive this Award which highlights our SEO skills and expertise. For our client to get these amazing results shows that you don’t need to spend a huge amount of money for a digital marketing campaign to be truly effective.

BUSINESS RISK

MANAGING & MITIGATING EXPOSURES

Chris Jackson of Tysers Insurance Brokers reflects on 2021 and identifies key future challenges and exposures for Hertfordshire Businesses.

THE IMPACT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted a significant shift in traditional working models. While lockdown forced many companies to implement remote working for employees, research indicates that remote working is here to stay with business leaders preparing to adopt a hybrid working model (which usually, combines both on-site and remote working). With more employees located offsite traditional perils, while still a risk, are less likely to result in a total loss or disruption to business. This is due to the wider geographical spread of risk, as employees and IT equipment are no longer concentrated in one location. However, there are new, less tangible, risks associated with remote working which mean it is more important than ever that companies work with a knowledgeable business insurance broker to fully assess the extent of their risk exposures. The risk profile of every company is different as how it operates and is structured is unique. By working with a trusted insurance expert companies can ensure that their risks have been fully assessed and, where appropriate, protected.

ABOUT US

Tysers is a leading independent Lloyd’s insurance broker, with over 200 years of insurance expertise. Headquartered in London with offices and associates around the world, Tysers trades in 140 countries across the globe. Tysers has over 1,000 experienced and talented employees who handle in excess of £2.75bn of premium annually. For more information, visit

www.tysers.com

CYBER RISKS

A cyber attack is a major risk and can affect the bottom line, as well as the reputation, of a business. As workforces come to rely increasingly on secure, smart technology, the thousands of WiFi routers in employees’ homes exposes new, vulnerable access points for cyber criminals. According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), 2021 saw a record number of cyber incidents in the UK, with ransomware attacks originating from Russia dominating activities. It is, therefore, crucial that employers consider their exposure to this risk.

NAVIGATING A HARD INSURANCE MARKET

The insurance markets had begun to harden, driving up premiums and increasing the cost of insurance for businesses before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown of March 2020. In a hardening market insurers have less desire for growth and lose their appetite for certain types of risk. This results in an increase in premiums. Therefore, businesses should start their renewal process as early as possible to allow their broker time to secure the best value coverage. And by using a well-established broker, businesses can be assured that they will have access to a wide variety of markets and products.

SUPPORT WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST

In the event of a loss occurrence, the increasingly intense scrutiny of claims by insurers means that businesses benefit from a broker’s support and expertise. Working with a broker who employs in-house claims expertise and has long, wellestablished relationships with insurers often provides valuable leverage. Tysers’ dedicated claims teams and expert employees help our clients navigate their claims journey to achieve the best possible outcomes. 

OPERATING IN EUROPE

Since the UK completed its exit from the European Union in December 2020, it has become more challenging for companies looking to expand and insure assets overseas. Working with a broker with established subsidiaries in other European Economic States is essential to ensure businesses can retain a single continuous point of contact for all their operations.

GET IN TOUCH...

Chris leads the Hertfordshire development team at Tysers from their offices in Hitchin and works with a wide range of businesses across the region. Tysers’ clients range from small local businesses through to large global business operations.  01462 439 842  07964 921 589  chris.jackson@tysers.com