Local Authority Building & Maintenance May/June 2022

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LABMONLINE.CO.UK

MAY/JUNE 2022

LOCAL AUTHORITY BUILDING & MAINTENANCE

HOUSING & REGENERATION ROAD TO ZERO CARBON FIRE PROTECTION & SECURITY

HOUSING 2022 In June, Europe’s largest housing festival returns to Manchester with over 150 hours of CPD accredited content. We take a look at what else housing professionals can expect from this year’s event SUSTAINABLE FINANCE NatWest talks to LABM about why funding sustainable social housing is crucial to meeting net zero targets

THE LEADING MAGAZINE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITY AND HOUSING ASSOCIATION SPECIFIERS, INCORPORATING

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CONTENTS

May/June 2022 Vol.38 No.3

REGULARS 5 Comment Community Conversation 6 News UK100 YouGov poll — BESA ‘Buildings as Safe Havens’ guide — bpha secures LAD scheme funding — NHF Climate Change and Sustainability in Housing online event 8 Drone Corner Grace Hammond, Account Manager at Vantage UAV, offers advice on achieving accurate inspection and data collection using drones SPECIAL REPORT 10 Adapting to Change Mark Whittaker, MD of Kier Places, discusses evolving the public sector estate to adapt to a changing world 12 Industry Comment Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH), discusses the on-going review about introducing a new Decent Homes Standard SHOW PREVIEW 14 Shoe Time A guide to what housing professionals can expect from this year’s Housing 2022 16 Legal Update RTB receipts are driving a resurgence in council housing says Charlotte Cook, Partner in the Social Housing team at Winckworth Sherwood

A guide to what’s on at Housing 2022, Europe’s largest housing festival, which returns to Manchester Central in June

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HOUSING & REGENERATION

ROAD TO ZERO CARBON

18 Working Together for Lower Heating Cost The Collaboration Category winner at this year’s CIBSE Building Performance Awards, the Echo Court development in Harrow

30 Staying on Track on the Road to Zero Carbon Advice on calculating the true carbon impact of a building

20 Package Deal New social housing development in Belfast built using a fabric first approach

32 Affordable Warmth that Pays for Itself IRT Surveys explains how a retrofit ecosystem achieves affordable warmth that pays for itself

23 Sustainable Finance NatWest discusses why funding sustainable social housing is crucial

35 Driving a Greater use of Timber Increasing the use of sustainable materials within construction

26 Come up to Standards A guide to meeting the required standards for curtain walling and rainscreen cladding 28 Reducing Fuel Costs for Tenants Clydesdale Housing Association air source heat pump installation project

FIRE PROTECTION & SECURITY 36 Fire Doorset Specifications Winkhaus considers how changes in legislation can impact the entire life cycle of a fire doorset 39 Bring Glass Balconies Back Pyroguard explores how glass can be used safely in balcony applications, following the amendments to Approved Document B

29 Round-up

42 Round-up

FM and the public sector estate

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The benefits of a retrofit ecosystem

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Specifying glass balcony systems

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

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Community conversation In April, the UK Government released its Energy Security Strategy. With many hoping for a much greater emphasis on renewable technologies, I’m sure few would have been surprised by the strong focus placed on nuclear power, given the drive to reduce reliance on hydrocarbons from Russia.

However, it would seem government’s thinking does not truly reflect the will of the nation, as demonstrated by a recent YouGov poll commissioned by UK100 — a network of local leaders across the UK committed to ambitious action on net zero and clean air. Conducted following the publication of the Strategy, the poll asked whether people would prefer onshore wind to nuclear power within their community.

The respondents voted overwhelmingly in favour of onshore wind by 61% to 23%.

Commenting on the findings, Rachel Coxcoon, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Forward Planning at UK100 member Cotswold District Council says: "As someone who has worked in community-based renewable energy projects for over 15 years, these results tally with what I regularly see in community engagement and research activities; the British public support renewable energy in their communities when they see opportunities for community involvement and community benefit, supported by strong planning frameworks that allow for genuine local control over what happens where.”

A crucial point here is community buy-in. If we are to successfully deliver effective net zero strategies, communities need to be fully engaged and their views properly represented. The importance of this cannot be overemphasised.

In April, Raven Housing Trust held an online webinar — ‘The journey to net zero carbon, Bringing customers along with us’. Jenny Osbourne MBE, Chief Executive of Tpas, spoke about the research Tpas has undertaken in this area with industry experts and residents, whilst Jo Hills, Director of Assets & Services at Raven Housing Trust, discussed sector challenges and how the RSL is working towards net zero.

To build trust, community engagement is crucial, and effective and continuous dialogue with residents is key here. It’s essential to listen to resident’s concerns and understand the pressures they face. A project that is going to dramatically reduce a housing association’s carbon emissions is great, but what does that really mean for residents, the benefits must be communicated

into something more meaningful to them — such as a reduction in energy bills, a more comfortable, healthier living environment etc.

By better understanding what resonates with residents, social housing providers increase their chances of gaining wider support on net zero projects — particularly those involving large-scale whole house retrofit work, which can be extremely disruptive. Bringing residents along on the journey with you will result in more engaged customers and the greater potential for them to become trusted ambassadors on future schemes.

residents are part of “theEnsuring net zero journey and wider regeneration conversation is essential.

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Fuel poverty can be divisive. Some residents don’t like or recognise the term. With the cost-ofliving crisis and the huge hike in energy bills, the phrase is rarely out of the headlines, however people can find being identified as fuel poor stigmatising and it can put them off seeking help.

So we must choose our language carefully and be mindful of people’s individual situations.

The cost of delivering whole house retrofit has increased exponentially, double what it was two years ago, says Jo Hills at Raven Housing Trust.

Increased material costs and a shortage of supply in certain product areas, plus not enough suppliers/contractors, were all cited as contributory factors. Some housing associations are now looking to take control, developing their own delivery capacity in-house and affordable materials supply chains to mitigate these challenges.

Social housing providers have an important role to play in addressing the climate emergency.

Ensuring residents are part of the net zero journey and wider regeneration conversation is essential.

We’ll be at Housing 2022 in Manchester in June, please do come over to stand A21 and say hi to the team, we’d love to see you!

LABMONLINE.CO.UK

MAY/JUNE 2022

LOCAL AUTHOR ITY BUILDING & MAINTENANCE

HOUSING & REGENE RATION

ROAD TO ZERO

CARBON

FIRE PROTECTION

& SECURITY

COVER STORY:

HOUSING 2022 In June, Europe’s largest housing festival returns to Mancheste of CPD accredited r with over 150 hours content. We take a look at what else housing professionals can expect from this year’s event

Aerial shot of Manchester ©Kaspars/AdobeStock. Housing 2022 returns to Manchester Central in June. For details on the show turn to page 14.

MAY/ JUNE

SUSTAINABLE FINANCE NatWest talks to LABM about why funding sustainable social housing is crucial to meeting net zero targets

THE LEADING MAGAZINE FOR LOCAL AUTHORIT HOUSING ASSOCIATI Y AND ON SPECIFIERS, INCORPORATING

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NEWS IN BRIEF Blueprint guide for IAQ The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has completed its trilogy of free guides designed to help building owners and managers turn their buildings into ‘safe havens’ that protect occupants from health risks linked to airborne contaminants and viruses.

‘Buildings as Safe Havens — a practical guide’ is the third in its suite of guidance for measuring, monitoring, and improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and the second produced with the support of Mitsubishi Electric. The ‘BASH’ Guide offers practical steps that facility managers and building owners can take to measure indoor air quality (IAQ) and offers advice on the questions to ask ventilation experts.

All three BESA guides addressing IAQ can be downloaded from: www.rdr.link/lad001

Local Authority Delivery scheme Housing association bpha has secured £440,000 in funding via the Local Authority Delivery scheme (LAD), which will enable it to undertake retrofit improvements to 88 of its properties. This kickstarts the housing provider’s aim for all its properties to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or above by 2030.

Paul Cook, bpha’s Director of Property Services and Compliance, says: “This will make a real difference to many customers’ homes, helping reduce energy bills as the cost to heat homes increases. The economic and environmental necessity for more energy-efficient homes has never been greater and this boost has put us well on the path to creating more sustainable communities.”

Onshore wind favoured over nuclear power Majority of Brits would welcome onshore wind over nuclear in their community, according to a new YouGov poll for UK100. ©whitcomberd/AdobeStock

People across the UK would welcome onshore wind in their community over nuclear, according to a new YouGov poll.

The poll, commissioned by UK100, came just days after the Government published its new Energy Security Strategy, which saw a pivot towards nuclear power and limited ambition on onshore wind.

When asked (between 11th and 12th April) whether they would prefer onshore wind or nuclear power in their community, more than three in five people (61%) said they would welcome onshore wind. Only one in five (23%) preferred nuclear power. Every demographic and region prefers onshore wind to nuclear by a significant margin.

UK100 is the only network of local leaders across the UK committed to ambitious action on Net Zero and clean air.

Responding to the findings, Polly Billington, Chief Executive of UK100, says: "The British people know that onshore wind is the quickest, cheapest and cleanest way to boost our energy security and reduce our reliance on Russian gas. It is also an industry that will bring almost 30,000 highquality jobs to the UK by 2030. The results of this poll aren't surprising.

“We work closely with local leaders across the UK who are ready to harness local support for onshore wind. But they need clear direction from the government on unblocking an effective ban on onshore wind that has seen a 97% decline in projects being granted planning permission between 2016 and 2021 compared to 2009 – 2014.

"While not surprising, the results are significant. It has been reported that Kwasi Kwarteng and Boris Johnson had originally planned to support a massive UK onshore wind revival. But after apparent inter-cabinet wrangling, the final Energy Security Strategy rowed back on those ambitions. This polling proves Boris and Kwasi should have stuck to their guns, the public is lukewarm on nuclear power in their community but is ready to welcome onshore wind farms across the country. And local authorities are poised and eager to deliver it."

Rachel Coxcoon, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Forward Planning at UK100 member Cotswold District Council, says: "As someone who has worked in community-based renewable energy projects for over 15 years, these results tally with what I regularly see in community engagement and research activities; the British public support renewable energy in their communities when they see opportunities for community involvement and community benefit, supported by strong planning frameworks that allow for genuine local control over what happens where.

“What local government needs now from Westminster is the power and funding to help communities make the sort of ambitious Local Plans that will deliver on this. A renewable energy revolution that puts communities at its heart could transform the relationship between people and the energy system, accelerating the UK’s transition to a climate-friendly future."

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Royal recognition for Procure Plus

DIARY DATES

Manchester-based company scoops Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).

Sustainability in housing

Procure Plus Holdings has been recognised with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise after helping thousands of people from disadvantaged communities in to sustainable, meaningful employment.

The organisation specialises in the procurement of goods and services for the social housing sector, helping housing providers secure cash savings of between 10% and 20% with no reduction in quality or service.

The surpluses generated are used to train and develop people who find themselves distanced from the employment market, using a range of training and support mechanisms, and working with local communities. This pioneering work has supported 2,534 people into sustainable employment over the last five years, with 90% of these beneficiaries having significant barriers to the labour market.

In order to ensure employment is truly sustainable, on-going in-work support is provided for both candidates and employers, leading to over 87% of candidates remaining in work for longer than six months. While Procure Plus supports many communities that are disadvantaged; its support of ex-offenders is especially exemplary.

When PPH created OSCO Homes as a subsidiary company to deliver affordable housing using offsite construction methods, it also saw the opportunity to integrate social value in its business model to the benefit of the individual, company and community. It did this by basing its first factory inside HMP Hindley, employing offenders serving custodial sentences.

On release, prisoners are guaranteed roles within OSCO or its supply chain and

are provided with access to a range of personal support to ensure they succeed on the outside. This has resulted in reoffending rates at OSCO of just 6%, compared to rates of up to 59% in the wider prison population on release.

Gwen Beeken, Managing Director of Procure Plus says: “I am incredibly proud that we have been awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunity by Her Majesty The Queen.

“Procure Plus is a business with a commercial head and a social heart. To be recognised by the most prestigious business awards in the UK is a huge honour, and one that I share with our employees, clients and everyone who we were able to help into work.”

Neo Property Solutions recently commenced delivery of its first contract with Procure Plus, delivering fire safety measures to tower blocks for First Choice Homes Oldham. As part of the contract delivery, Procure Plus worked with First Choice Homes Oldham and Neo Property Solutions to develop and agree social value activities. They are all committed to ensuring good quality employment is available to local people, one example is Martin (pictured), who is a tenant of First Choice Homes Oldham and has been employed as a trainee fire stopper with Neo Property Solutions.

‘Tackling the climate crisis is the most significant challenge of our time.’ The National Housing Federation’s Climate Change and Sustainability in Housing online event will take place on the 24th and the 25th May. It will provide ‘an opportunity for those in the housing association sector and beyond to define how they can work together to decarbonise existing homes and ensure that new homes are built to much higher environmental standards’.

Speakers include Clive Betts MP, Chair, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee; Olivia Blake MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Net Zero; Philippa Ellis, LEA Programme Lead, Energy Systems, at the Greater London Authority; and Dame Jo da Silva, Global Director of Sustainable Development at Arup.

For mYou can register for tickets here www.rdr.link/lad002

Fire resistant glazing CPD Up-to-date technical guidance on how to specify dependable fire resistant glazing for all kinds of commercial, public and domestic applications is available from SYSTEMGLAS manufacturer Promat UK in its latest RIBA-approved CPD seminar.

‘The Burning Question’ is a 60-minute seminar for specifiers, architects, contractors and other building professionals covering fire regulations, standards and the basics of fire glass classifications, through to appropriate uses of fire glass, the different types of glass and framing commonly used, and how to specify with confidence. The image shows an example of fire resistant, butt-jointed glazing by Promat UK created using its SYSTEMGLAS range.

Find out more here: www.promat.com

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DRONE CORNER IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

Grace Hammond, Account Manager at Vantage UAV — the NHF preferred drone services supplier — drills down on the cost benefits of drones and how they make a difference to safe and accurate inspection and data collection.

Accurate inspections and data capture

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he costs of repairs and maintenance are significant across social housing. A recent report from Mis Active 1 Management Systems (2021) found the average annual spend on repairs and maintenance was £1,579 per property.

This totalled a whopping £5.51bn annual spend across English housing associations in 2020.

With maintenance costs rapidly increasing, easily accessible, accurate and cost-effective data capture is considered one of the best property management tools, and yet until now, it has been underused and overpriced. Drones are changing this dynamic, with providers offering safer, faster, smarter, asset management solutions.

Valuable inspection tool The flexibility, accuracy and access that drones can offer is unparalleled, making them a valuable inspection tool. These benefits were demonstrated in the case of St Luke’s Church, one of Yorkshire Housing’s stock. Carried out by Vantage UAV and supported by Connected Places Catapult, St Luke’s Church underwent an entire drone roof and façade inspection to gain a full overview of the property's condition.

With previous traditional inspections leading to recommendations that a full roof replacement was necessary, at an advised

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cost of circa £350,000 along with a timeframe of three to six months, Vantage UAV were brought in to provide further insight into the roof condition. Due to the complexity of the building, along with safety issues relating to roof access, with the tallest part of the building measuring 50m, an assessment of the roof condition without the use of drones was limited.

Traditional inspection methods provided a cost of circa £80,000 to fully assess the roof condition, involving a combination of cherry pickers, scaffolding and steeplejacks.

Instead, Yorkshire Housing opted for an innovative solution, employing drones to collect detailed photogrammetry, 4k videos and create a 3D model of the building.

Vantage UAV collected the data within two days and drastically reduced the safety risks associated with the data collection process by removing the need to work from height. The drone inspection enabled the identification of a variety of issues across the entire building, such as; broken and missing tiles, vegetation ingress and poor flashing condition. The detailed assessment showed that only certain areas of the roof needed attention. Despite the inspection covering a significant area, the 3D model gave evidence for a reduced cost of work at circa £50-60,000, providing a total saving of circa £300,000.

Following the inspection, the data and outputs generated were hosted on a viewing platform, which supports high

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resolution remote inspections, annotations and millimetre accurate measuring capabilities. From this, reports can be generated and shared, providing evidence for required works.

The data collected at St Luke’s, provided Yorkshire Housing with a detailed overview of the building's condition, allowing an informed decision to be made in a quicker period of time. Andy Gamble, Executive Director Growth & Assets at Yorkshire Housing, attested to the large maintenance cost savings the drone inspection created, whilst also reducing the associated time, risk and inconvenience to tenants.

Many organisations are deploying drones as an inspection tool to help make smarter decisions when it comes to overall asset management and repairs. The cost savings demonstrated in the St Luke’s case study highlight the benefits this technology can bring to the sector, resulting in a proactive and cost-effective approach, which mitigates risk and streamlines workflows. __________ 1 https://www.mis-ams.com/blog-post?id=176

n For more information on Vantage UAV and its services visit www.vantageuav.com n For more information on ARPASUK visit www.rdr.link/lad004 n For more information on Connected Places Catapult visit www.rdr.link/lad005

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SPECIAL REPORT: EVOLVING THE PUBLIC SECTOR ESTATE

Kier Places’ FM team has been working with Wiltshire Council since 2016

Mark Whittaker, Managing Director of Kier Places, discusses evolving the public sector estate to adapt to a changing world.

Adapting to change

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s Charles Darwin once said, it’s not the strongest nor most intelligent of the species that survives, but the one that’s most adaptable to change. This concept may have been written in the 1800s, but it still resonates today and is certainly true of our collective response to the two global challenges of our time: the Covid-19 pandemic and the climate crisis.

We’ve lived amid a pandemic for more than two years now, but Covid-19 continues to impact our daily lives. It enforced rapid change in every aspect of life almost overnight, including for those organisations that provide critical public services and need to continue delivering through difficult periods with as little disruption as possible.

We’re also in the midst of another emergency: the climate crisis. 2021’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) brought leaders together in Glasgow to speed up the global response to address the objectives of the Paris Agreement and reiterate the importance of taking action now. Councils and governments have also

responded by announcing climate emergencies, beginning the momentous task of kick-starting their journeys to reach their own net zero targets.

So we’ve been working closely with our public sector clients at Kier Places to help them respond to this changing world and understand the challenges they face to safely deliver essential public services in difficult circumstances.

Our facilities management (FM) team has been working with Wiltshire Council since 2016, delivering mechanical and electrical, fire security and reactive fabric FM services.

We maintain more than 50,000 individual assets to ensure they’re compliant, and deliver both planned and reactive maintenance to nearly 1,500 properties, including schools, council offices and hubs, libraries, farms, children’s centres, nurseries, a theatre and even a windmill.

Going green in a hybrid world With the public estate generating 2% of the UK’s total emissions and the Government’s target to deliver a 78% reduction in emissions by 2035, a key part of

our work in Wiltshire — and with many other councils — has been around saving energy.

Wiltshire Council has its own targets and has committed to being a carbon neutral organisation by 2030. This ambition is underpinned by a recently adopted Climate Strategy, which has been shaped by local people and stakeholders from a range of backgrounds, and it’s leading the county in how it responds to the vast challenges of climate change.

The council’s plan is to educate and inspire and to help people step up and take the necessary action to make a positive difference.

Building service management is increasingly critical to understanding exactly how a building is being used, where any inefficiencies are, and identifying opportunities to make improvements, save money and reduce carbon. We’ve been using remote monitoring technology to help with this

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Kier Places is delivering mechanical and electrical, fire security and reactive fabric FM services to nearly 1,500 Wiltshire Council properties

With the public estate “generating 2% of the UK’s total emissions and the Government’s target to deliver a 78% reduction in emissions by 2035, a key part of our work in Wiltshire — and with many other councils — has been around saving energy.

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process, which gives Wiltshire Council more control of its portfolio in one place. It also reduces the need for call outs, which has been particularly useful during lockdown periods.

For example, we’re able to carry out surveys remotely to identify how spaces are now used — particularly due to the pandemic’s impact on hybrid working and working from home freeing up many desks and offices — and where

improvements can be made. This can include reducing or turning off the heating in storage rooms, which don’t require the same levels as a busy office would. Or moving an office to another end of a building, so that all the facilities are in one area, encouraging greater collaboration, as well as saving energy.

Transitioning to greener energy sources and technology is another focus area for us to drive further improvements.

We’ve installed solar PV panels, LED lighting and heat pumps across multiple buildings to help decarbonise the property portfolio, while again reducing costs and energy usage.

Refurbish and repair to regenerate assets Renovations, extensions and repairs play a big part in our refurbishment work and are essential to supporting councils to continue delivering their services, often bringing ageing assets back to life or adapting buildings or facilities to meet new environmental targets or standards.

One example is at Trowbridge Town Hall, an historic Grade II listed building and

important community facility at the heart of the town’s high street. We’ve been working closely with Wiltshire Council to prepare for the regeneration of the roof by repairing sections to prevent leaks following periods of heavy rainfall, plus repairs to the stonework on the front façade to avoid further deterioration.

Communication between Kier Places, Council and other stakeholders has played a huge part in the success of this project so far. Our team are regularly on site to speak to the various businesses who use the building and also to manage the restrictions on the public highway, reducing the impact on pedestrians. We also adapted our delivery to accommodate restricted access on site and worked with the businesses to reduce the impact our activity would have on them, including carrying out works outside of term time.

Adaptability is key So with all this in mind, what’s our biggest learning from the last few years? It’s squarely centred around the need to adapt.

Devising solutions, rather than presenting problems, in response to the challenges of the pandemic and climate crisis has been critical, as is good communication. We’re really proud of our ‘one team’ partnership with Wiltshire Council and believe this plays a huge part in making our collaborative work a success.

We will always face challenges in the world, and will undoubtedly face more in the years ahead. But being more flexible and open to change will certainly help to tackle any trials head-on, ultimately for the benefit of us all.

n For more information on Kier Places visit www.rdr.link/lad006

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Towards a new Decent Homes Standard?

Government is currently reviewing the Decent Homes Standard (in two parts) to identify the case for change and consider how decency should be defined. Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH), discusses the on-going review and the plethora of questions it raises surrounding key issues such as energy prices, cost of materials, building safety and net zero. he 2020 Social Housing White Paper announced a review of the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) — last updated in 2006 — “to understand if it is right for the social housing sector today”. This decision followed a positive response from the sector to a proposal for a review trailed in the earlier Green Paper published in August 2018 as part of the Government’s response to the Grenfell tragedy.

The review would be carried out in two parts: the first would run from Spring to Summer 2021 and look at the operation of the current standard and the case for change; if the case for change is made, part 2 will run from Autumn 2021 to Summer 2022 and will consider how decency should now be defined.

The first part of the review went ahead according to this plan. DLUHC convened a Sounding Board of sector experts, landlords and residents and organised working group meetings and written consultation on each of the four criteria, which the DHS currently includes. This process was completed, as planned, in Summer 2021 — and then there was a long silence.

In September 2021, Robert Jenrick was removed as responsible Secretary of State and replaced by Michael Gove. In January this year Gove released details of the Government’s flagship “levelling up” policies — including a tantalisingly brief reference to decent homes.

Among the Government’s 12 “missions” for achievement by 2030 was this: “the Government’s ambition is for the number

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of non-decent rented homes to have fallen by 50%, with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas”. While the precise implications of this ambition remain unclear it effectively confirmed that the Government would, indeed, adopt a refreshed DHS, but, also, that it intends to enforce it, not just in the social housing sector, but with private landlords as well.

Changes to Decent Homes Just before Easter, DLUHC announced it was “accelerating” Part 2 of the review and listed seven areas where it is considering changes to the DHS, for discussion prior to formal consultation later this year. These are: ventilation (particularly in the context of damp and mould), home security, thermostatic mixer valves, window restrictors, electrical safety, refuse management and water efficiency.

Little information has been given on why these have been chosen in preference to the many other issues discussed in Part 1 of the review. Thermal comfort, perhaps the part of the existing standard where there is the most compelling case for change, in the light of the carbon reduction agenda, has been excluded from further discussion in this part of the review.

All this raises more questions than it answers. In Part 1 of the review the Government reported that 13% of the social housing stock does not comply with the existing standard, despite earmarked funding over nearly two decades to achieve this.

So far, the proposed new additions to the standard are uncosted although DLUHC

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comfort, perhaps “theThermal part of the existing standard where there is the most compelling case for change, in the light of the carbon reduction agenda, has been excluded from further discussion in this part of the review.

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are working on an impact assessment.

Given other pressures on spending, including rising energy and materials costs and delivering on the new requirements relating to fire and building safety, what relative priority is to be given to the existing and new elements of the DHS and what is the timetable for introduction and compliance with the new standard?

How will the new DHS dovetail with the ongoing net zero ambition and the target to raise all social housing to EPC Band C by 2030? How will the standard be applied to private rented housing, much of which is physically unlike social housing and where there is currently no Regulator responsible for enforcing standards, this task having historically fallen to local authority private sector housing teams which are now seriously depleted by a decade of austerity? We await the next round of DLUHC announcements with interest.

www.arch-housing.org.uk

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SHOW PREVIEW:

Listen to industry leaders debate key issues in Housing 2022’s conference sessions

Show time

Housing 2022 has over 150 hours of CPD accredited content

June heralds the return to Manchester Central of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference and exhibition. Here we provide a guide to what housing professionals can look forward to at this year’s event.

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unning from the 28th to the 30th June, Housing 2022 is the must attend event on the sector’s calendar and this year looks set to be no exception. As Europe’s largest housing festival, it provides a great opportunity to network with industry colleagues, make new connections, share best practice, debate key sector challenges and see what’s new in built environment technology and solutions.

Networking and collaboration are at the heart of Housing and learning is another key component, with over 150 hours of CPD accredited content across the three days. The sessions will cover an array of

essential subjects, from the economic landscape, building safety, homelessness and housing delivery and affordability, to funding and climate change.

Housing professionals will also be able to hear what senior politicians and government representatives have to say on key issues, as well as engage with peers and sector leaders in exclusive roundtable discussions.

With housing higher on the Government’s agenda, there will no doubt be a packed audience eager to hear what the new Minister for Housing, The Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, has to say in his Keynote address, which will be delivered at midday on the first day of the show.

Conference sessions Climate change and the need to be more sustainable is one of the major challenges facing local authorities and housing associations. Visitors to the ‘Unlock Net Zero’ stage will have the chance to hear from experts on topics including energy, environment, social, skills and technology solutions across new-builds and retrofit projects.

At the ‘Net zero now: action, scale and momentum’ session at 9.30am on Tuesday morning, examples of successful net zero housing projects will be highlighted. Housing professionals will also have the chance to hear from

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housing higher on “theWith Government’s agenda,

The exhibition is a great place to explore all the latest building innovations and technology

leading lights within the field of climate change discussing what needs to be done to address the scale of the challenge, where the focus should be to achieve long-term ambitions, and how to bring stakeholders along on the journey and ensure continued momentum.

There will also be sessions addressing, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, how to secure the funding needed to make net zero a reality, alternative forms of heating homes to avoid using gas, planning for climate-related risks, green skills and employment. In addition, Climate Change Hackathon sessions will focus on greater collaboration and communication — “How can you help your neighbour address climate change?”

living crisis spiralling and escalating energy costs, an increasing number of people are feeling the pinch financially and having to make stark choices which come with potentially very damaging consequences. This session will provide a forum for social housing providers to discuss how they can help residents who are struggling in the current climate.

With over three million people fleeing the devastating conflict in Ukraine and the UK preparing to help over 200,000 displaced people, on Day Two, The Fringe Festival will look at how the social housing sector can go further in supporting refugees, ensuring they have access to safe, good-quality homes and helping them integrate into communities.

Fringe Festival

Encouraging debate

During day one, the ‘Fringe Festival Stage’ will host a session on ‘Heating or eating? How landlords can help residents in fuel poverty’, which will tackle a major issue for the sector. With the cost-of-

At the ‘In conversation with the Regulator of Social Housing’, Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive at the Regulator for Social Housing, Joanne Drew, Housing and Regeneration Director at the London

Housing 2022 provides an ideal opportunity to network with fellow housing professionals

there will no doubt be a packed audience eager to hear what the new Minister for Housing, The Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, has to say in his Keynote address.

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Borough of Enfield and Paul Fiddaman, Chief Executive at Karbon Homes will talk about the current economic landscape for RPs, consumer regulation and what it means for residents.

There will also be sessions on building safety and implementing the Golden Thread, levelling up, equality and diversity, large-scale regeneration, later living and digital transformation, plus a host of other topics across the three days of the show.

Awards and exhibition The Housing Heroes and Women in Housing Awards will open the show on Monday 27th June. The awards recognise and celebrate achievements of the leaders, innovators and changemakers delivering incredible work across the sector.

Alongside the show, the exhibition in the main hall will cover the entire supply chain. It provides the ideal opportunity for housing professionals to see the latest technologies, make connections with suppliers and contractors, and uncover solutions that could have a real impact on projects and the lives of residents. From digital tools to improve asset management, energy-efficient heating solutions, the latest fire safety products, to Secured by Design compliant doors and hardware, and accessible bathroom solutions, there will be plenty to explore in the exhibition.

LABM will have a stand in the exhibition and we’d love to see you. Please do drop by our stand at A21 and say hello.

n You can register for Housing 2022 here: www.rdr.link/lad007

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n Charlotte Cook is a Partner in the Social Housing team at Winckworth Sherwood. She can be reached by email: ccook@wslaw.co.uk. Visit www.wslaw.co.uk.

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ocal authorities have for the last decade been able to reinvest right to buy receipts into new council-owned housing. However, it was not until the lifting of the borrowing cap in 2018 and, in 2021, extending the spending window from three to five years that has seen local authority owned housing accelerate. Today, there are over 1.5 million homes owned and managed by local authorities.

The right to buy programme has been heralded as both a success for private home ownership and, at the same time, a strategic failure undermining social housing stock with over six million homes falling out of public ownership. Right to buy has seen 1.1m homes transferred into the private rented sector.

In a report in March 2022, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) says right to buy has proven costly to taxpayers, driving up housing benefit and temporary accommodation costs. The CIH says it has driven greater inequality in energy efficiency and housing standards with homes in the private rented sector often falling behind homes owned by local authorities and registered providers.

Local authorities are very much on the front line of the housing crisis with lengthy waiting lists, families and vulnerable individuals in unsuitable accommodation and increasing housing costs. Soaring house prices and rents continue to compound the challenges faced.

They are increasingly responding by looking to purchase back council housing stock rather than building new stock, and 1 6

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RTB receipts drive resurgence in council housing Local authorities are increasingly using right to buy receipts to purchase rather than build council housing, says Charlotte Cook, Partner in the Social Housing team at Winckworth Sherwood. with good reason. Housing benefit, now rolled into Universal Credit, represents a significant and increasing expense, costing government over £17bn a year. Put simply, local authorities that own and manage their own housing stock can make reductions to housing benefit.

Yes, there will be costs associated with the management of owned properties, but council-owned housing brings many other benefits too. Costs (whilst significant) are not the only driver.

In owning and managing housing, local authorities can offer vulnerable individuals and families greater security of tenure, and more appropriate support where needed. They no longer need to turn to private sector landlords who use shorthold tenancies by default. In short, nominations, benefits, and management all under one umbrella.

Wealth of expertise It has been argued that local authorities have lost the knowledge and skills they once retained to manage large housing portfolios. And whilst that may be the case in some instances, there remains a wealth of expertise in local authorities that continues to grow.

And where the acquisition is of ex -right to buy stock, the quality of its construction and design (with schemes often supported by generous amenity space and ‘old school’ space standards) can be seen as better ‘value for money’ than new-build units.

Local authorities will continue to build and operate new homes yet face considerable challenges. It takes time to

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In owning and “managing housing, local authorities can offer vulnerable individuals and families greater security of tenure, and more appropriate support where needed.

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build new homes when housing need is immediate. And then there is rising costs of material and labour that shows no sign of abating.

We will increasingly see a greater number of local authorities purchasing properties outright funded by right to buy receipts. They will in many instances be homes that were once in local authority ownership. The era of quality housing owned and managed by local authorities is returning.

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HOUSING & REGENERATION

The Echo Court development in Harrow was the first scheme to be built under the Origin Housing/Hill Group JV Group

Working together for lower heating costs Cooperation between the developer, contractor and heat network consultant was fundamental to delivering an affordable and efficient heating and hot water scheme to the residents of Echo Court. Anastasia Mylona, Head of Research from CIBSE, explains why the project so impressed the judges of this year’s CIBSE Building Performance Awards, where the scheme won the Collaboration Category.

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hen we handed over the scheme in July 2019, we estimated that the review process would save each resident about £160 per year on bills and reduce the scheme's carbon emissions by 72 tonnes of CO2 per year," says Michael Ridge, Principal Engineer at independent heat networks specialist FairHeat. "Now, with the increased cost of energy, that could be much, much more."

Michael is talking about Echo Court, a residential scheme consisting of 116 new apartments for affordable rent, shared ownership and private sale in Harrow, west London. The development was built under a joint venture (JV) partnership between registered social landlord Origin Housing and housebuilder Hill Group, with FairHeat providing technical support for the heat network delivery team.

Under the London Plan, where an existing heat network is unavailable, major

residential developments are required to be designed to incorporate a communal heat network rather than use individual gas boilers to make it easier to decarbonise heating in the future.

While this intention is admirable, the problem is that many heat networks often fail to perform efficiently through a combination of factors including: poor design, a lack of design standards, poor install quality and poor equipment.

Setting a benchmark Echo Court was the first scheme to be built under the Origin Housing/Hill Group JV. As such, the partners wanted the project to set the benchmark for its subsequent schemes, and that included the performance of the project's heat network.

Hill Group's building services consultant, Whitecode Design Associates, developed the design for the heat network, which was then refined and

installed by contractor I-Mex (M&E). The design is based on a gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) engine, to generate electrical power with the engine's waste heat utilised to provide heat to the development. A gas boiler supplements the CHP. Heating flow and return pipework deliver the heat at 60˚ from the project's plantroom to a series of vertical risers.

Pipework branches on each of the building's nine floors deliver heat from the riser to each apartment. A heat interface unit (HIU) transfers and meters the heat used for hot water or underfloor heating in each apartment. Once the heat has been consumed by the residents, the cooled water returns to the plantroom at 30˚C.

Heat Networks Design Supplement One of FairHeat's first initiatives was to apply its technical standard to the design of the heating system. The standard, known

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The Echo Court scheme won the Collaboration Category at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards

We've developed a “process called dwelling acceptance testing, which involves us going into an apartment and basically simulating what a resident might do when living there…

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as the Heat Networks Design Supplement, is effectively a heat network work design guide. It establishes the temperatures the network should be designed to achieve; explains how the dwelling should be designed to deliver space heating and hot water; it dictates a performance-based heat interface unit selection; sets out how pipework should be sized; and outlines the insulation specification.

Most importantly, FairHeat's technical standard includes a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics that the design must comply with, such as: permissible system heat losses per dwelling and maximum flow temperatures

FairHeat provided technical support to the heat network delivery team on the Echo Court scheme

(Many of these have subsequently been adopted by CIBSE in its CP1 Heat networks: Code of Practice for the UK (2020), where FairHeat sat on the steering group).

The performance KPIs assigned at the outset were a key motivator for all involved. However, the real key to the project's success was collaboration between the team members. FairHeat worked with Hill Group's site team and contractor I-Mex (M&E) to introduce the quality assurance processes.

"The process is quite different because it's another party joining the construction process that they aren’t used to, I'm saying: 'You're going to build the best heat network; we’re going to come and inspect it and if it's wrong we’re going to tell you how to fix it,'" Michael explains.

Credit to I-Mex (M&E) for embracing this approach: "They got what we were doing, they set out to learn from the experience and they up-skilled where necessary because they wanted to do a good job; it was a refreshing mindset and this openness was critical to a successful project" Michael adds.

Low heat losses Fundamental to Echo Court's excellent performance is low heat losses resulting from low heating system temperatures of 60˚C flow/30˚C return. "There are two benefits of lower system temperatures: lower system losses and a future-proof heat pumpready system," explains Michael.

With the system installed and inspected in line with its design guide, FairHeat then worked with I-Mex (M&E) on the system commissioning. "We've developed a process called

dwelling acceptance testing, which involves us going into an apartment and basically simulating what a resident might do when living there: we'd turn on the heating and run the hot water while taking measurements to make sure the design has been achieved," says Michael.

The final element of commissioning is a load test. This involves turning on the heating and hot water in numerous apartments to check the plant responds as it should. "The first time you do this you typically find a number of controls issues that require turning to optimise the system’s performance," explains Ridge. “It can also reveal if there are any major faults that have slipped through,” Michael adds.

The result of these collective reviews and interventions is a heat network delivered in accordance with performance requirements, with flow and return temperatures of 60˚C/30˚C. Despite being readily deliverable, operation temperatures this low are rarely specified and achieved in the UK, making this a leading system in terms of performance.

The outcome for the residents is a low cost, low carbon heating system, with a heat loss of less than 100W per dwelling.

The JV team were clearly impressed with the heat network delivered because they appointed the same team to its next development project, which was delivered with similar performance characteristics.

The judges of this year's CIBSE Building Performance Awards were also impressed by the cooperation between developer, contractor and heat network consultant where the scheme won the Collaboration category.

■ For further information on CIBSE or the Building Performance Awards, please visit www.CIBSE.org

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HOUSING & REGENERATION

Package deal Glidevale Protect VP300 underlay being installed

Glidevale Protect has provided a full range of roofing, ventilation and construction products as part of a major new social housing development in Belfast, which is taking a fabric first approach to building healthy, sustainable homes.

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ne of the largest mixed-tenure developments to be constructed in Northern Ireland to date, the new scheme for a leading social housing provider includes 244 homes, which are a mix of social and affordable housing, a community facility, a linear park and a children’s play park.

Working with main contractor Kevin Watson Group, established Belfast-based roofing subcontractor Prentice Roofing and offsite manufacturers and installers of the timber frame panels Leadon Timber Frame, Glidevale Protect delivered a complete solution of products, ensuring the pitched roofs were both protected against wind uplift and water ingress as well as ventilated correctly to minimise condensation risk. This included fascia vents, eaves skirts, rafter rolls, as well as tile ventilation and ridge ventilation products — all designed to bring natural ventilation into each building and help create healthy homes.

The Protect VP300 vapour permeable roofing underlay was specified to provide watertightness and weather protection with its wind uplift resistance creating a second line of defence to protect the

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homes from the elements. This was teamed with the universal dry fix ventilated ridge and hip system, Protect Fulmetal RediRoll, to provide a full cold roof solution of condensation control and provision of ventilation to the roofspace.

Increased airflow requirements The heat recovery systems installed on some of the properties meant that some of the in-line tile ventilation units needed to have a higher than usual draw of air.

Glidevale Protect’s technical team worked

In order to deliver the “highest quality standards to meet client’s expectations, we like to collaborate with supply chain partners who can ensure our subcontractors are provided with top performing building materials using a fabric first approach.

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with the Prentice Roofing to find a suitable product within its existing range. VersaTile TT13 exhaust air terminals were supplied to meet this increased airflow requirement and designed to blend in with the chosen roof tiles.

All the external timber frame walls were fitted with Protect TF200 Thermo, a low emissivity, insulating and reflective wall membrane, delivering enhanced thermal resistance to improve energy efficiency and the ideal example of a fabric first approach in action. The nonreflective external breather membrane, Protect TF200, was used on spandrel panels to provide weather protection during the construction as well as helping to avoid interstitial condensation risk within the construction.

Energy conservation Completing the project were Glidevale cavity trays and airbricks as well as loft access hatches, which have been designed and engineered to meet the energy conservation and air leakage requirements of Building Regulations (Approved Documents L and C) with integral seals to significantly reduce water

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Glidevale Protect TF200 Thermo reflective wall membranes were specified for the new development in Belfast

vapour migration into the loft space, thereby reducing condensation risk.

Cornelius Ward, Director at Kevin Watson Group says: "In order to deliver the highest quality standards to meet client’s expectations, we like to

collaborate with supply chain partners who can ensure our sub-contractors are provided with top performing building materials using a fabric first approach.

Glidevale Protect’s wide breadth of solutions used on this development meant

full peace of mind during the construction process, helping to create energy-efficient and healthy homes.”

n More information on Glidevale Protect here www.rdr.link/lad008

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HOUSING & REGENERATION

Sustainable finance There won’t be one single solution to deliver greener homes.

The challenge is complex ©blacksalmon/AdobeStock

Funding sustainable social housing is crucial to meet net zero targets and increase energy efficiency in homes, says Marcos Navarro, Director & Sustainability Lead for Housing Finance at NatWest.

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educing emissions from homes and buildings is one of the most effective ways the UK can achieve its 2050 net zero target.

The UK has approximately 30 million buildings, including some of the oldest building stock in Europe, which creates an immediate challenge for sustainability.

Most emissions from buildings result from heating systems, with the indirect emissions from heating buildings making up approximately 78% of all buildings emissions and 21% of all UK emissions1.

The demand to accelerate the UK’s transition to net zero comes as a cost-ofliving crisis deepens, with the energy efficiency of homes being a huge conversation. Retrofitting properties to reduce energy bills has become a huge talking point recently, particularly for the most deprived areas of society, as energy

prices soar. With this urgency, banks and other financial providers must offer tailored, cost-effective financial and nonfinancial solutions for customers to support a just transition.

At NatWest, we have provided funding to support the delivery of affordable housing since the 1990s and currently provide more than £14bn of loan commitments to housing associations across the UK. We provide traditional funding facilities, such as term loans and revolving credit facilities, but are also a market leader in supporting housing associations to access funding via the debt capital markets.

Sustainable social housing Although the social housing sector is ahead of the private sector when it comes to average energy performance

Housing association, Magenta Living, secured £137m of sustainable funding from NatWest to build 1,000 affordable homes and become carbon zero

certificate (EPC) ratings, it still has a huge number of properties that aren’t sustainable. In England, there are approximately 4.1m social homes and 1.6m of these are below EPC C. The 2019 Conservative manifesto promised a £3.8bn social housing decarbonisation fund over 10 years, and the Government’s latest British Energy Security Strategy paper hints at it investing over £6bn on decarbonising the nation’s homes and buildings. Whilst this level of public funding is a great start, it still leaves a massive funding gap. A report produced

by Savills suggests that to achieve EPC C by 2030 and net zero by 2050 (in England) it will cost the housing association sector between £36bn and £58bn.

Given the UK Government is still grappling with the cost to service the existing level of national debt (equivalent

Pictured from left to right: NatWest’s CEO of Retail Banking, David Lindberg; Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham and NatWest’s Regional Director, Steve Sankson

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At NatWest, we have “provided funding to support the delivery of affordable housing since the 1990s and currently provide more than £14bn of loan commitments to housing associations across the UK.

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of over £1,200 per person this year), it seems unlikely that the Government will be making any significant additional commitments soon.

Government and local authorities will play a part in addressing this; however, the reality is that most of the funding will still come from the private sector. Therefore, NatWest (and all banks and investors) must continue to work with individuals and organisations to ensure they have as many viable funding solutions available to them as possible.

Collaboration is key There won’t be one single solution to deliver greener homes. The challenge is complex and requires multiple solutions to be utilised and developed, so it’s important to promote collaboration across organisations, sectors, and local and central government, to support individual and collective sustainability goals.

NatWest is involved in a wide range of working groups looking at ways the UK can improve the sustainability of its built environment. Findings from these working groups are being used to inform the ways we support our customers.

For example, the bank has recently helped Salix Homes finance its flagship

South Yorkshire Housing Association’s Finchwell Road development in Sheffield

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Pictured from left to right: Pete Bojar, Executive Director Sustainable Assets and Repairs at Great Places Housing Group; Sue Sutton, CEO of Salix Homes; Chris O’Shea, Group CEO of Centrica; Phil Elvy, Executive Director of Finance at Great Places Housing Group; Alastair Harper, Head of Public Affairs at Shelter; Marcos Navarro, Director and Sustainability Lead for Housing Finance at NatWest

Greenhaus development in Salford, Greater Manchester. It is currently being constructed to Passivhaus standards, a method of lowenergy construction to build thermally efficient, ‘green’ homes with minimal energy required to provide heating and hot water.

We also recently launched a ‘Sustainable Homes and Buildings Coalition’2, with British Gas, Worcester Bosch, and Shelter, to improve the energy efficiency of UK buildings and address key blockers to meeting net zero. Citizens Advice is also acting in an advisory capacity to the Coalition on the needs of, and challenges faced by, consumers in the transition. The Coalition’s first report ‘Home is Where the Heat is’3 was published last year.

Social value NatWest’s is committed to being a leading supporter of UK businesses, helping to address the climate challenge. We are taking a proactive role in supporting customers and local communities to transition to net zero.

We have committed £100bn in additional Climate and Sustainable Funding and Financing4 by the end of 2025, and our sustainable commitments are detailed in our Climate-Related Disclosures Report.

Alongside financial support, we acknowledge the bigger socio-economic impact of helping property owners to make better sustainable choices. Supporting the retrofit agenda and the delivery of greener homes will help to tackle fuel poverty, reduce the impact and costs on the NHS and save lives.

It’s estimated that of the 63,000 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in 2020/21, 8,500 of them were due to cold homes. Improved winter warmth and lowered relative humidity have proven

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benefits for cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health. The National Energy Action also found that for every £1 spent on retrofitting fuel-poor homes, an estimated £0.42 is saved in NHS spending.

Retrofitting UK housing will also create jobs in all regions of the UK, and in sectors hit hardest by the recession. Cambridge Econometrics estimate that raising every home in the UK to EPC level C would sustain at least 108,000 new jobs annually between 2020 and 2030.

The future of sustainable housing often means different things to different people.

But for me, it means providing safe, secure and affordable housing that has a positive impact on our environment.

The provision of sustainable housing should consider the voice of the resident, and the local community and ensure that properties are well managed, and communities are supported, helping to reduce inequality, and helping communities to prosper.

New and existing developments should promote increased levels of biodiversity, natural habitats and ecological sustainability and prevent the risk of climate change.

Providing housing of this nature will protect tenants’ health, improve well-being and can help individuals out of poverty, whilst also improving our environment. ________________________ 1 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/103399 0/net-zero-strategy-beis.pdf 2 https://www.natwestgroup.com/news/2021/07/ natwest-group-launches-sustainable-homes-andbuildings-coalition.html 3 https://www.natwestgroup.com/news/2021/10/homeis-where-the-heat-is.html 4 https://www.natwestgroup.com/news/2021/10/ natwest-pledges-of-climate-and-sustainable-fundingfinancing.html

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Gailord Nepp, Head of Building Envelope Testing at UL, offers a guide to meeting the required standards for curtain walling and rainscreen cladding for local authorities and housing associations.

UL’s third party testing and certification is available throughout the UK and Europe

Come up to standards

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t’s almost a daily occurrence: another news headline on the increasingly erratic weather patterns and climaterelated problems affecting people around the globe. The UK has been at the receiving end of some of these headlines, including deadly heatwaves and flash flooding in the summer and prolonged rainfall, high wind speeds and destructive storms during winter.

So how do our buildings stand up against such a battering? In particular, what protections are given to high-rise homes and multi-storey apartment blocks that stand full square against the elements, such as the ones owned and managed by social landlords?

A common feature of these developments is high-performance curtain walling and rainscreen cladding. This is not a single building product but an interconnected system of components — typically a bearing wall, layer of insulation and external cladding material. This system works to deliver benefits, such as better thermal insulation, improved aesthetics, reduced weight loading and reduced maintenance.

Rainscreen cladding does what its name suggests: it forms an external barrier, a rearventilated cavity that prevents moisture from affecting the main structure and a shield from strong wind force. The air cavity system within the cladding helps reduce condensation and promote stabilised conditions that prevent the formation of cracks and other structural issues. Even at ground level, rainscreen cladding can

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protect against flooding at the base of the building and prevent that moisture from causing severe structural damage.

It is used for new-builds but also the external refurbishment of existing housing blocks; helping those buildings look and perform like new when used correctly. This sort of refurbishment can make a lot of sense environmentally, by avoiding the waste and carbon cost of demolition and rebuilding.

Cladding systems Understandably, post-Grenfell, even just the word ‘cladding’ can raise concerns among many housing associations and local authorities. But we would be wrong to discard the benefits of these building systems altogether.

When correctly designed, specified, installed, and maintained, cladding systems deliver enhanced comfort and performance, which brings net benefits to the residents and their wellbeing. This is because the façade or exterior envelope of a building is the element that makes the internal space habitable and keeps residents sheltered from the weather.

So how do we rebuild confidence in cladding? What matters most, of course, is its performance in use and how well such systems stand up to the worst that the British weather throws at them. But the best indicator of that is the proper testing and third-party certification process applied to these systems.

NHBC Standards Chapter 6.9 states categorically that curtain walling must

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ensure “adequate in-service performance.”

So, in assessing the suitability of these systems, we need to take into account weather resistance and a multitude of other factors, including acoustic performance, thermal bridging condensation and air infiltration.

Compliance with the NHBC guidance is most usually demonstrated by carrying out a suite of technical tests prescribed by the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT) along with the product or system certification.

This means testing systems both on and offsite. Air and water testing of the prototype curtain walling system should be carried out according to the CWCT standard test sequence A or B and must pass the test at a pressure of 600 Pa for static air, water and dynamic water testing.

The panels tested must be of a similar size and configuration to those that will be used on the building.

Third party testing and certification Only a handful of test and certification organisations offer appropriate services, and among these, UL is one of the most experienced. UL’s third party testing and certification is available throughout the UK and Europe to organisations engaged in fabricating curtain walling, brick slip cladding and rain-screen systems. The certification process includes an evaluation covering products and their performance and an assessment of the manufacturer’s procedures and factory production control systems.

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In UL’s accredited testing “laboratories, we can simulate wind-driven rains, hurricane and tornado winds.

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When correctly designed, specified, installed, and maintained, cladding systems deliver enhanced comfort and performance

In UL’s accredited testing laboratories, we can simulate wind-driven rains, hurricane and tornado winds, as well as hot and cold extreme temperatures to assess and verify building envelope products and systems before, during and after construction. In the UK, much of this testing occurs at UL’s testing facility in Telford.

Once a company achieves certification, they will have access to the project and tender lists to show that its products and

procedures have been independently assessed for performance and quality by a third party. Such certification is often part of the criteria for public sector procurement. Certification also highlights their dedication to excellence and performance, which is always a valuable benefit in this competitive market sector.

Recent changes in weather patters that lead to ‘four seasons in a day’ scenarios — although still shocking for most of us — are

starting to become the norm, rather than the exception. Coupled with the stern lessons learned form recent fires in highrises, it goes without saying that any manufacturer worth its salt should adhere to the most rigorous testing and certification standards in industry, and social housing clients should be demanding the best.

UL certification allows local authorities and their residents to have confidence in the quality and increased levels of safety for rainscreen and curtain walling products, which leads to clear benefits for all parties involved.

n Learn more about UL’s building envelope testing, certification and advisory services here www.rdr.link/lad009

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The UltraQuiet Ecodan heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric sit outside the home and extract warmth from the outdoor air

HOUSING & REGENERATION

Reducing fuel costs for tenants Russell Dean, Head of Residential and Domestic Heating at Mitsubishi Electric, discusses how heat pump technology can boost domestic energy efficiency and help reduce heating bills, highlighting a recent project with Clydesdale Housing Association. ith climate change and renewable energy firmly on the agenda, many housing associations are now looking to upgrade their heating solutions to be more environmentally friendly, reduce energy consumption and lower carbon emissions. At the same time, ensuring tenants are comfortable and warm is a key priority — as well as keeping energy costs low.

To address all of these areas at once may seem like a challenge — but due to their efficiency, heat pump technology can reduce a housing association’s carbon impact, and reduce costs for tenants compared to gas or oil heating.

Clydesdale Housing Association was set up in 1987 by a voluntary committee, with a mission to combat the poor condition of houses in Clydesdale, and the

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EESSH2 requires all social housing to meet EPC band B by the end of December 2032

shortage of rented housing. It now manages over 740 properties. Recently, the HA was looking to replace old inefficient electric storage heating to reduce fuel costs for tenants and help lift them out of fuel poverty, while also assisting the housing provider in meeting the Social Housing Energy Efficiency Standard2 (EESSH2) targets.

Ecodan air source heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric will be installed into 120 of the housing association’s properties to provide renewable energy and year-round comfort, and tenants are expected to benefit from average cost savings of £852 per year.

appropriate solution, as they are low maintenance and able to produce an average of three kilowatts of heating for every kilowatt of electricity consumed.

Ecodan units sit outside the home and extract warmth from the outdoor air. They upgrade this renewable heat energy and transfer it inside the home to provide hot water and heating for radiators and/or underfloor heating. They will do this quietly and reliably, all year round, even in subzero temperatures down to -25˚C. The heat pumps, which have been installed in 33 properties to date, are working in a variety of apartments, detached, semi-detached and terraced houses across the HA’s stock.

Meeting legislation

Advice for residents

The Scottish Government created EESSH to remove poor energy efficiency and help combat fuel poverty whilst also contributing to the overall climate change emissions reduction targets. EESSH2 requires all social housing to meet EPC band B — or be as energy-efficient as practically possible, within the limits of cost, technology and necessary consent — by the end of December 2032. With this in mind, BRB Electrical was appointed to carry out heating replacement works for Clydesdale and worked closely with the housing association to ensure tenants secured optimum benefit from the project.

BRB Electrical also partnered with the Wise Group to provide tenants with information about tariff switching and held intensive consultations on how tenants can save money and improve comfort levels in their home. To date, approval rating for the systems is very high with 98% of respondents providing positive feedback.

Russell Dean, Head of Residential and Domestic Heating Mitsubishi Electric says: “We’re delighted the Clydesdale Housing Association has chosen to install our innovative Ecodan air source heat pump systems.

“Tenants are already feeling the benefits — both in their homes and in their pockets — and the Housing Association is meeting its priorities of supporting its tenants as well as contributing to meeting environmental targets.”

Choosing the right solution During the survey process, it became obvious that the type of properties being targeted were better suited to the installation of air source heat pumps rather than storage heaters as initially intended.

UltraQuiet Ecodan heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric were chosen as an

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n For more details on the Ecodan range, visit www.rdr.link/lad010

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HOUSING & REGENERATION ROUND-UP City Plumbing supports affordable housing sector

Level-access shower tray for visual impairment users

The national plumbing, heating, electrical and renewable technologies supplier, City Plumbing, has boosted its offer to housing associations and councils with the launch of its new Integrated Solutions brand.

Integrated Solutions at City Plumbing is a team of experts providing repair and maintenance material supply chain solutions to the affordable housing sector. Supplying in house repairs, service maintenance providers, and contractors that work in the plumbing and heating sector, Integrated Solutions will focus on product supply, distribution, frameworks, IT, and administrative solutions.

In addition to over 37,000 product lines and over 350 branches to fulfil contract requirements, customers can now receive consultancy along with a range of new digital solutions. Carefully curated systems and KPI portals monitor stock levels, sales, and purchases to help customers improve first-time fix rates, jobs completed per day and most importantly resident satisfaction.

With the number of people in the UK living with sight loss on the rise, designing bathrooms that are easy to navigate is essential. That is why AKW is pleased to announce the launch of the Mullen shower tray, which creates a defined level-access showering area that is ideal for use by those with visual impairments. Suitable for installation on either concrete or wooden flooring, this cost-effective shower tray is said to offer unrivalled strength and stability and can support up to 30 stones (190kg) in weight.

The product can either be fitted as a level access solution, requiring only a 27mm floor recess for installation, or can be surface-mounted. For added safety, the tray is slip-resistant and features a textured surface for added safety. With a 25mm fall inside the tray, there is also excellent water drainage. The Mullen shower tray comes with an Intergrip clamping strip which grips and seals vinyl flooring in the tray, creating a watertight seal.

n For more information on Integrated Solutions please visit www.rdr.link/lad020

For all the latest news and views check out labmonline.co.uk

n For more information the Mullen shower tray visit www.rdr.link/lad021

LABM’s website offers an essential information resource for local authority and housing association specifiers, and anyone involved in the construction, refurbishment and maintenance of social and affordable housing, schools, healthcare facilities and public sector buildings.

On the website you’ll find details on all the latest funding and regulatory updates, sector announcements, contract awards and industry events. We share insight and opinion from commentators across the supply chain, feature in-depth project case studies and in our Products section, showcase new product innovations, technologies and construction solutions.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @labmmag and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/local-authority-building-maintenance for all the latest stories.

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ROAD TO ZERO CARBON

B&K Structures use a simple yet highly accurate carbon calculator

B&K Structures’ carbon calculator draws on information sourced from published EPDs

For local authorities, the climate crisis has rapidly pushed sustainability to the top of the priority list regarding new building design. As such, implementing a greater use of sustainable materials within construction is crucial.

However, calculating the true carbon impact of a building is not always clear-cut, as explained here by Paul Philbin, Quality and Environmental Manager at B&K Structures.

Staying on track on the road to zero carbon

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he road to achieving Net Zero status by 2050 is rapidly growing shorter and local authorities must act soon if they are to succeed in meeting their environmental targets. As a crucial first step, local authorities should assess their current activity, considering the environmental impact caused by aspects such as transport, energy consumption and waste. However, as it accounts for as much as 40% of the UK’s total carbon output, minimising the impact of the built environment will have a fundamental part to play.

To reduce this figure, introducing more sustainable materials and practices within new construction developments is key. Despite being used successfully in

many other nations, in the UK, timber usage in construction is significantly lower despite numerous examples of outstanding timber and hybrid schemes and in spite of timber’s many structural properties and sustainable benefits. For local authorities, promoting the use of greener materials will be essential in achieving the Net Zero agenda.

Equally as important to increasing the use of sustainable materials is introducing a monitoring system to track and assess the performance. This ensures that all aspects of carbon emissions are accounted for and properly recorded, allowing local authorities to consider areas in which more can be done.

Monitoring systems The most common way to do this is by using a carbon calculator, which is used to work out the impact a new structure will have on the environment. Carbon calculators commonly base their workings on Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

An LCA is the measurement of how either a product or service will impact the environment throughout its life cycle. The LCA considers the resources used, operational use, and end of life destination, amongst other factors, to create a final figure. There are numerous reasons as to why LCAs are useful; in the design process changes can be introduced to a planned project to

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We are able to use our “carbon calculator to

Using a carbon calculator enables the carbon footprint of projects to be estimated in the early design stages

understand the sequestered carbon for all our completed projects; for example, a recent local authority project with a total volume of 668.703m³ of PEFC certified Glulam and CLT resulted in 508 tonnes of sequestered carbon.

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improve sustainable qualities, they can even be used for benchmarking and comparing the performance between different companies and construction materials. EPDs are built upon foundations formed by LCAs. They are independently verified and registered documents that contain completely transparent information pertaining to a product’s life-cycle environmental impact.

Although the methodology behind carbon calculators is thorough, there is such a vast number of variables to consider that it has been almost impossible to produce an accurate carbon value for a project or building. Two companies operating identically could quite easily carry out calculations and find differing results. This is because the accuracy of carbon calculators is determined by the depth of detail that is used.

Elements such as the manufacturing, transporting and sourcing of materials are commonly included within calculations, however, aspects like workers and their travel to and from site are not always considered. There are many other examples such as this that lead to inconsistency in carbon calculation.

Carbon calculators How to overcome this issue is something being widely discussed, with several solutions having been tabled. One possible solution is to introduce a standardised carbon calculator. As there are numerous complexities and variables

to consider, having a recognised format throughout the industry would produce far more accurate carbon calculation results.

Another alternative option is to assign a set carbon value to each type of product, i.e. cross laminated timber, glulam, steel, or concrete. This idea does introduce its own caveats, as the carbon value for a product will vary between specifications and manufacturers. Using sensible averages when the exact specification is not fixed, and then EPD data when a specific product is chosen, helps to overcome this issue.

For now, before an effective industry wide solution is found, using in-depth detailed figures remains the most accurate means to conduct carbon calculation. At B&K Structures we use a simple yet highly accurate carbon calculator, produced by an external consultant, (Jane Anderson at Construction LCA) to determine the environmental credentials of our projects.

The calculator draws on information sourced from published EPDs to find the carbon values assigned to each product used within a project. A number of considerations are made including the type of product, amount of product used, the transportation involved, and the amount of CO2 being stored. The insight provided by the calculator is invaluable, as it helps us to identify areas in which a project’s carbon output can be improved, and even works out the regrowth time for the trees used to make our timber products.

Understanding sequestered carbon We are able to use our carbon calculator to understand the sequestered carbon for all our completed projects; for example, a recent local authority project with a total volume of 668.703m³ of PEFC certified Glulam and CLT resulted in 508 tonnes of sequestered carbon, and the timber was completely replaced by new growth in just two minutes and 26 seconds.

The carbon calculator also allows us to estimate the carbon footprint of projects in the early design stages, to help clients and developers make informed decisions on material use. For example, Dalston Lane — a multi-award-winning residential project in Hackney — was redeveloped from a concrete to an engineered timber scheme at an early stage, delivering a net carbon footprint of -2,600 tonnes CO2; a vast improvement on the original estimation of +2,000 tonnes when designed in concrete.

The pressure on local authorities to minimise the carbon impact of new developments will continue to increase.

Whilst not yet a perfect system, using indepth carbon calculators is the most accurate way to predict the carbon cost of new projects, allowing local authorities to consider ways to improve sustainable credentials before work even begins.

n To find out more about B&K Structures, please visit www.rdr.link/lad011

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ROAD TO ZERO CARBON

©trahko/AdobeStock

Affordable warmth that pays for itself UK social housing providers are facing their biggest challenge yet. Not only are decarbonisation deadlines looming, but also thousands of residents are in desperate need of protection from rising fuel costs. Stewart Little, CEO of IRT Surveys, explains how a retrofit ecosystem achieves affordable warmth that pays for itself.

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overnment initiatives have put local authorities and social housing providers at the vanguard of energy efficiency improvements. The Clean Growth Strategy requires all rented properties to have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C by 2035, or 2030 for fuel poor homes. This is a huge task, with recent data from the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy showing that 39% of social homes have an EPC rating of D or below.1 Undertaking such improvements is increasingly urgent. Over the past few months, household energy bills have soared. The price cap, which used to protect residents from exorbitant costs, has increased by 54% since October 2021. While retrofits have long represented a way of reducing carbon emissions and energy bills at scale, lack of access to efficient project funding is proving to be a sticking point.

retrofits are frequently seen as a shot in the dark. And unsurprisingly, housing providers and funders are hesitant to commit the billions needed to uncertain and mistrusted projects. But joining the dots between each stage of the retrofit planning cycle bridges this knowledge gap. Called an ecosystem approach, such a collaborative methodology unlocks the ability to forecast retrofits’ carbon savings, quantify the likelihood these savings will materialise, and understand projects’ financial viability.

Data-driven decisions Data is the lifeblood of an ecosystem approach. It cuts across every stage of the retrofit journey, empowering decisions that optimise property selection, residents’

Bridging outcome uncertainty

An ecosystem approach Although private funding does exist for retrofit projects, it often comes with prohibitive conditions, overpriced premiums, and insufficient capacity. This is because

savings, project financeability, emission reductions, likelihood of success, and insurance criteria. And the first step for housing providers, insurers, funders, and residents is to gain an objective view of homes’ current conditions.

One of the most effective ways to create a building baseline is to use thermal imaging surveys. Not only do these measure areas of energy loss in a building without human bias but can detect previously undiscovered issues, such as missing insulation, porous brickwork, and draughts. When combined with archetypal open data sources, housing providers can enjoy an accurate insight into their buildings’ energy usage and energy waste. These insights can then be aggregated and analysed to suggest viable decarbonisation measures, along with the expected outcomes.

One of the most effective ways to create a building baseline is to use thermal imaging surveys

But predicting carbon and energy savings are all very well on paper but the reality can be different. Historical misalignment between technology-led outputs versus the savings delivered has held funders back, hindering retrofit ambitious. This is where risk quantification comes in. By

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is the lifeblood of “anData ecosystem approach. It

utilising advanced AI algorithms that combine thermal imaging outputs, open data sources, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and insurance criteria, the likelihood of project underperformance can be understood.

Risk quantification allows stakeholders to have a realistic understanding of expected carbon reductions, energy savings, and Return on Investment (ROI).

And because risk is evaluated on a sliding scale, retrofit measures can be tweaked to mitigate the likelihood and magnitude of underperformance.

of these savings are left with residents from day one — putting money back in tenants’ pockets.

Insurance policies that guarantee energy savings not only support access to ESG funding but also off-balance sheet treatment. As a result, existing budgets can be leveraged multiple times, reducing fuel poverty and improving lives for residents at scale. Such an approach offers a financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable way to reach net zero for budget-stretched and balance-sheet constrained local authorities and housing associations.

Plugging the funding gap Decarbonising the UK’s four million social homes by 2050 is set to have a price tag of £104bn. As such, ensuring project financial viability is of the utmost importance. Retrofits need to be viewed as financial assets to gain institutional funders’ support — and to access to large liquidity pools at a higher loan-to-cost ratio.

Key advantages of an ecosystem approach are that retrofits’ energy savings and financial implications can be predicted and as a result, guaranteed. Such security provides third party, ESG funders with the confidence needed to front the required capex. The realised energy bill savings then repay the initial capex costs, enabling a ‘pay-as-you-save model’. And up to 25%

A no regrets solution An ecosystem approach supports projects that tackle the most energy inefficient homes first. By prioritising properties in order of need, retrofits can improve the lives of those in fuel poverty first — saving them money while delivering warmer, more pleasant homes.

Typically, retrofits include improving buildings’ ability to keep in heat alongside installing renewable generation assets. In these cases, housing providers and residents often enjoy fast payback times as well as high energy and carbon reductions, with 100% of the bill savings left with residents once the initial capex has been repaid. This equates to resident

cuts across every stage of the retrofit journey, empowering decisions that optimise property selection, residents’ savings, project financeability, emission reductions, likelihood of success, and insurance criteria.

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savings of £900.00 – £1,200.00 at the current price cap — offering a no-regrets solution that will still be delivering value 30 years down the line.

Joining the dots An example of how this multi-faceted approach works in practice can be seen in the partnership between technology companies IRT Surveys and Tallarna. Their collaboration provides a turnkey solution for social housing providers, empowering them to identify, design, insure, fund, and contract viable retrofit projects in one place.

Social housing providers have a legal duty of care towards both residents and the planet, with urgent action required to meet Britain’s 2035 EPC C deadline. Leveraging an ecosystem approach to retrofits will not only prevent millions from choosing between heating and eating but will make a tangible impact on mitigating the climate crisis. The way ahead is clear. Social housing providers have it within their power to pave a better environmental, social, and financial future for all — they just need to take the first step.

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Thermal imaging showing the energy performance of a property ‘before’ and ‘after’ retrofit works

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government /uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1023 608/social-housing-decarbonisation-studyreport.pdf

n For more information on Tallarna visit www.rdr.link/lad012 n For more information on IRT Surveys visit www.rdr.link/lad013

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ROAD TO ZERO CARBON

National Automotive Innovation Centre, from Cullinan Studio. Photographer: Hufton + Crow. Via Wood Awards.

Driving a greater use of timber ore than 300 local authorities have declared a climate emergency in recent years and as such, nearly two thirds of councils have pledged to achieve Net Zero status 20 years ahead of the national target to combat the climate crisis.

It is clear that local authorities must make considerable changes across all aspects of their operation, including transport, energy use and procurement, to be more in-line with the sustainability agenda. With a shocking 40% of the UK’s emissions being produced by the built environment, local authorities urgently need to address the carbon footprint of their estates and seek out more sustainable methods of construction.

The construction industry has an obligation to improve its environmental performance and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) is calling upon the sector to tackle the climate crisis with the same joined-up approach it showed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the CLC’s major triumphs to date is the production of its Site Operating Procedures which, when followed on site, ensured the safety and protection of the UK’s construction workforce and allowed the industry to remain operational throughout the pandemic — a key factor in maintaining the UK’s relatively buoyant economy. The CLC hopes to garner the same support for its latest initiative, CO2structZero.

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CO2structZero programme Launched at COP26, CO2structZero is a programme that establishes a list of nine priorities for new projects to adopt and implement. These priorities relate to transport, buildings and construction activity, and include: • Accelerating the shift of the construction workforce to zero emission vehicles and onsite plant.

• Enhancing the energy performance of new and existing buildings through higher operational energy efficiency standards and better building energy performance.

• Implementing carbon measurement, to support our construction projects in making quantifiable decisions to remove carbon.

The priorities underpin the success of CO2structZero and align with the overarching Government plan to achieve Net Zero 2050. Local authorities in particular should pay close attention to these, as those that choose to engage with the priorities will experience significant carbon savings, making their sustainable targets much more achievable.

However, before local authorities can introduce more timber-based construction, there are clear and obvious barriers that must first be overcome. Breaking down these barriers is crucial to introducing a

Increasing the use of sustainable materials within construction is essential to achieving Net Zero status by 2050 — a goal that the Government has committed to in its Build Back Greener strategy document. The timber sector fully recognises its role in facilitating this transition, as Andrew Carpenter, Director of the Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI) and Board Member of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), explains. wider audience to both the structural capabilities of timber and its sustainable benefits. Part of the work at the Confederation of Timber Industries is bridging this gap.

Government-driven initiative The Timber in Construction Working Group, which the CTI is a part of, is a collection of stakeholders from within the construction and timber industries, as well as insurers, academics and government officials. Its two main objectives are to develop policy that will increase the safe use of timber, and to produce a roadmap to enable these key stakeholders to deliver more timber in UK construction. This government-driven initiative is a definite acknowledgment that timber must play a vital role in achieving Net Zero by 2050.

Without initiatives like the CO2structZero priority list and the Timber in Construction Working Group, increasing the use of timber within construction in the UK would be a far greater challenge. With new policies being worked on, and government backing to see them come to fruition, the target of Net Zero by 2050 is starting to feel more within reach.

n To find out more about the CLC’s CO2structZero programme, please visit www.rdr.link/lad014 n To find out more about the CTI, please visit www.rdr.link/lad015

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FIRE PROTECTION & SECURITY Third party audited installation handover

Fire doorset specifications

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n October 2021, Winkhaus UK commissioned a survey that asked respondents to vote for which tests they think are required for a MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government) 2020 compliant fire doorset.

Following the results of the survey, only 40% of respondents said fire doorsets should be smoke and fire tested, 20% said security tested and 20% said that fire doorsets should be third party accredited. The results from the survey provided an insight into the respondent’s knowledge about the new legislation and guidance and the conclusion highlights that in all likelihood, some specifications may not have changed in line with the correct guidance.

Over the last five years since the Grenfell disaster, there have been many

changes in legislation and guidance, but important questions remain: “Do specifiers and those responsible for fire safety in social housing understand the changes and have they implemented these changes into their specifications?”

Changes in recent years highlight the requirements for compliance and how this should be delivered and maintained through the lifecycle of a fire doorset.

The 2020 MHCLG guideline identified the three critical performances for a fire doorset as Fire, Smoke and Security. The MHCLG guideline, along with the independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety, also clearly states that these critical performances should be third party audited and certified.

Have your fire doorset specifications changed in line with legislation? For over a decade the Winkhaus UK technical team has been involved in the creation and implementation of the latest standards and guidance for fire doorsets. Following the launch of a training service, Mark Alton, Fire Door Product Manager at Winkhaus, shares how changes in legislation can impact the entire life cycle of a fire doorset, what a compliant fire doorset specification should contain and the importance of maintenance post-installation.

Importance of Third Party Auditing UKAS accredited third party auditing is not just required to verify test data for fire doors, it is a critical requirement throughout the “Golden Thread” or lifecycle of a fire doorset. There are five key stages within the Golden Thread: Design and Test, Specify, Manufacture, Survey and Installation and Maintenance.

Design and test is the first stage of the Golden Thread and this is where the doorset is tested with an independent UKAS accredited test house or laboratory for fire resistance, smoke control and to PAS24 for enhanced security, both inside and outside. All the test reports are compiled and become a FoAP (Field of Application) that shows all the variations and permitted parameters.

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accredited third party auditing is not just required “toUKAS verify test data for fire doors, it is a critical requirement throughout the lifecycle of a fire doorset. ” A specification is then written which outlines the requirement of skills and other specifics required for each doorset. The specification stage must follow the Golden Thread and ensures every stage is third party audited to ensure test evidence is current and correct. The key purpose of the specification is to ensure the fire door set is consistent and compliant through manufacture, installation and maintenance.

Next in the Golden Thread is manufacture; this stage is third party audited to ensure the fire doorset is consistently manufactured to the same standards as the test evidence and specification.

Survey and installation is then conducted by a third party accredited installer with an additional system training to ensure consistency and clear understanding of the tested solutions specified.

This then leads to Maintenance, which is the final stage of the Golden Thread. It is mandatory that annual audits are carried out and undertaken by a third party audited and accredited company to ensure compliance throughout the life of the doorset. Any remedial work identified through annual or routine inspection should be related back to the original test evidence, so again we recommend training is provided throughout the golden thread.

All of the stages within the Golden Thread refer back to the original design

testing ensuring the correct components are being used to make or maintain a door. The landlord or responsible person needs to ensure that the fire doorset is maintained to the test data. The test data cannot be changed and any changes to the fire doorset that aren’t specified in the test data will result in a non-compliant fire doorset. For example, if the letterbox was damaged and maintenance work is required, the same letterbox would need to be installed as the test data to ensure the door performs to the same standards as when it was originally tested to ensure the warranty is also maintained.

Free Fire training service by Winkhaus Winkhaus FireFrame composite fire doorset solutions are the first to attain the new Q Mark third party audit certification for Smoke and we are the first company to attain individual Q Mark certification for all three critical performance requirements: Fire, Smoke and Security.

To further aid the understanding of the new requirements for a compliant fire doorset specification, we have recently expanded our free training service. We offer three different levels of training, which can be tailored to the audience to ensure it meets your requirements and we will even write your fire door set specification: l Option One — This training provides an overview of the Golden Thread for fire

Successful fire testing of the most complex and definitely the largest construction Winkhaus has ever tested

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doorsets, covering the requirements for a compliant doorset throughout its lifecycle.

Option Two — This training covers the fire doorset legislation, which is the next level of data for those who need a more detailed understanding of the changes that have been made to legislation for fire doorset standards over the past few years.

Option Three — If you require a deeper understanding on legislation and guidance, need support in writing your specification or require further advice on compliance, we can arrange for a Q&A session with a member of our expert fire doorset team.

Both option one and option two can be presented as a formal CPD or informally without CPD certification.

n For more information about Winkhaus’ Fire, Smoke and Security doorset solutions, support with fire door specifications or to register for the company’s free training, please visit www.rdr.link/lad016

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FIRE PROTECTION & SECURITY

When it comes to high-rise social housing, glass balconies can be a great way to offer tenants access to their own private outdoor space — all part of the push to create the high-quality social housing of the future. Here, Andy Lake, Sales Director UK & IRE at Pyroguard, explores how glass can be used safely in balcony applications, following the amendments to Approved Document B.

Glass balconies bring more natural light into a building

Bring glass balconies back

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ccording to Shelter, over three million more social homes are needed to meet with demand.1 With increasing attention placed on the need for quality social housing, it’s important that local authorities, housing associations and developers are providing a comfortable and safe space for tenants to call their home. This is further demonstrated in the UK Government’s ‘Levelling up’ campaign and whitepaper, in which it calls for a social housing sector where landlords are providing their tenants with high-quality housing that they themselves would be happy to live in.2 Part of this can include providing tenants, even those in high-rise buildings, with access to a private outdoor balcony space.

When it comes to constructing these balconies, glass can be an ideal building material, helping to offer a striking exterior feature and bring more natural light into the individual apartments.

However, in the light of the Grenfell disaster of 2017 and the subsequent

amendment of Part B of the Building Regulations, a ban was placed on the use of laminated glass on high-rise residential balconies and terraces over 18 metres tall. This was due to the interlayer between the individual glass sheets.

Commonly made from PVB, this interlayer could melt in extreme heat (such as that experienced during a fire) and form flammable liquid droplets. These droplets could then fall to the balcony or terrace beneath, igniting and spreading the fire further throughout the building.

Since the ban, housing providers, developers and contractors have had to look to other materials for the construction of these balconies, such as steel.

However, now, thanks to developments in the market, glass can be successfully reestablished as a design solution and brought back into these high-rise balcony applications. Of course, there are numerous factors to be considered first to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations and protect future tenants.

Reaction to Fire classification By looking for safety glass that has Reaction to Fire classification A1 or A2, social housing providers and developers can be confident that the product is non-combustible and that the interlayer will not melt or combust in the unfortunate event of a fire.

In addition to fire safety, it’s essential that any glass installed is impact resistant according to BS EN 12600, given the highrise residential living setting. Of course, the glass is first and foremost a safety product, before any architectural or aesthetic value, and therefore has to satisfy the relevant line load requirements. For example, if someone leaned on the glass, or even tripped and fell into the balcony, would the glass hold?

UV stability Another consideration when installing glass within balconies is its UV stability. With the exposed position on the exterior of a highrise building, materials and products in this setting will be subject to all types of weather conditions, including UV sunlight and heat.

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FIRE PROTECTION & SECURITY Perhaps one of the most common issues experienced throughout the glass and glazing industry is weathering. When it comes to safety glass, in particular, the gel interlayers in some products can react and be affected by long-term exposure to UV light, causing the glass to yellow or appear hazy. With glass often being favoured for its aesthetic value, the careful selection of a product at the specification stage can help ensure that this value is protected and that the glass won’t deteriorate over time.

Looking at the regulations, safety glass products should be tested to the relevant

In addition to fire safety, it’s “essential that any glass installed is impact resistant according to BS EN 12600, given the high-rise residential living setting.

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industry standards for weathering: ISO 12543-4:2011. This involves accelerated testing, whereby glass samples are placed into chambers within a controlled laboratory environment and subjected to varying degrees of heat, humidity and UV light.

However, these tests do not necessarily always tell you the full story. To more accurately predict how safety glass will perform in the real-world, local authorities and developers should try to partner with suppliers who subject their products to real world weathering testing.

What’s more, some safety glass products can be manufactured with a solar control or UV-stable coating within the glazing system, helping to filter the sun’s UV light from the glass.

Pyroguard Balustrade is Pyroguard’s new safety glass solution for balustrade and balcony applications, making it one of the only glass manufacturers to offer such a product — patent pending. Calling upon its 30 years’ experience, Pyroguard was

Pyroguard Balustrade is Pyroguard’s new safety glass solution for balustrade and balcony applications

able to utilise the intumescent gel interlayer present in its portfolio of fire safety glass products and apply it to Pyroguard Balustrade, making it inherently non-combustible and suitable for high-rise balcony applications.

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https://england.shelter.org.uk/support_us/ campaigns/a_vision_for_ social_housing 2. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/socialhousing-quality

n To learn more about Pyroguard Balustrade, please visit www.rdr.link/lad017

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FIRE PROTECTION & SECURITY ROUND-UP Haringey Safer Streets Project Over 350 ERA British Standard nightlatches, British Standard mortice locks and 3* cylinders have been installed throughout properties in Haringey, as part of the antiburglary Safer Streets Project.

Led by Haringey Council and the Metropolitan Police Service Designing Out Crime Team, the scheme has provided over 80 households throughout Noel Park with free security upgrades to provide enhanced protection against acquisitive crimes within the neighbourhood. The certified suite of British Standard hardware has been installed alongside a range of additional security products free of charge by local security specialists GK Locksmiths and RS Locksmiths.

ERA’s High Security Nightlatch conforms to British Standard 3621:2007.

The Fortress 5 Lever Mortice Deadlock, which also adheres to the British Standard, features hardened steel plates that are resistant to drilling, as well as two hardened steel plates in the deadbolt to resist hacksawing. The steel levers also feature false notching to resist lock picking. The British Standard Fortress 3* Cylinder features six hardened high security pins that provide resistance against the most common forms of forced entry.

■ For more information on ERA’s portfolio of security products, visit www.rdr.link/lad018

Smoke extraction solution Fire safety remains a top priority for all involved in the construction industry.

GEZE, a leading manufacturer of door and window control systems, offers a product that it believes is a unique solution for smoke extraction systems. The RWA K 600 retractable arm drive can be fitted to emergency exits on escape routes and in the event of a fire it can be used as a fresh air supply, which when the fire alarm is sounded the door opens automatically allowing a large amount of air to flow into the building and forcing smoke out.

The powerful drive with high torque opens a door to 90˚ in less than 60 seconds. Yet the door remains readily accessible due to the freely positioned activation of the lever by means of a pressure roller. The solution is ideal for use in supply air systems where large opening angles are required, it is suitable for single and double leaf smoke and heat extraction fresh air doors and can be installed on both the hinge or opposite hinge side.

■ To find out more about the RWA K 600 visit www.rdr.link/lad019

Advertisement index Here is a useful summary of all the adverts that appear in this issue of Local Authority Building & Maintenance.

Each is listed with its page number and a direct URL that will get you straight to the relevant online information A. Proctor Group Ltd ..................................................(page 25) www.rdr.link/LAD110

Intratone UK Ltd ..........................................................(page 27) www.rdr.link/LAD107

Aico Ltd ............................................................................(page 4) www.rdr.link/LAD100

Marshalls Plc ................................................................(page 22) www.rdr.link/LAD108

Birtley Building Prods ..................................................(page 17) www.rdr.link/LAD101

Pro Builder Live ....................................................(page 43/IBC) www.rdr.link/LAD109

Cemex UK Materials Ltd ............................................(page 34) www.rdr.link/LAD102

Premdor ....................................................................(page 2/IFC) www.rdr.link/LAD111

Eurocell Buildings ..........................................................(page 9) www.rdr.link/LAD103

Samuel Heath & Sons ..................................................(page 38) www.rdr.link/LAD112

Harrison Thompson ......................................................(page 13) www.rdr.link/LAD104

Stuart Turner Ltd ..........................................................(page 13) www.rdr.link/LAD113

Housing 22 ..........................................................(page 44/OBC) www.rdr.link/LAD105

Sunray ............................................................................(page 40) www.rdr.link/LAD114

Horne Engineering Ltd ................................................(page 21) www.rdr.link/LAD106

Winkhaus UK Ltd ..........................................................(page 41) www.rdr.link/LAD115

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