UK INDUSTRY NEWS TTF Signs ‘Building a Safer Future’ Charter The UK Timber Trade Federation (TTF) has joined major contractors, housing providers, local authorities and trade bodies in helping to change the culture around building safety. The TTF has taken the positive step of becoming a Registered Signatory to the Building a Safer Future (BSF) Charter. The BSF Charter is a proactive response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Building a Safer Future Review in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The Charter is administered by a not-for-profit independent organisation, set up to encourage collaboration, drive change, and ultimately to transform the culture around building safety. The community of Charter signatories is committed to putting people’s safety first through a series of five Charter Commitments. David Hopkins, CEO of the Timber Trade Federation said: “The TTF is pleased to become a Registered Signatory of the Building a Safer Future Charter. We recognise that becoming a Registered Signatory is an important first step towards achieving the culture and behavioural change required in relation to the Charter's objectives around building safety. In confirming our support as a Registered Signatory, we will now be working to ensure that we embed the principles of the Charter into our organisation’s and our sector’s activities. “As the TTF and TRADA move further towards integration under the banner of Timber Development UK, which will bring suppliers and specifiers under the same body, we will be in an authoritative position to
New Integrated Wates Business to Drive Offsite Manufacturing
enact our Commitments under the Charter, particularly in collaborating to spearhead culture change and become the voice of building safety across our sector. We will also be able to play a central role in providing the key information and resources need to achieve and maintain building safety.” Becoming a signatory to the BSF Charter underlines the TTF’s commitment to product safety, accurate product information (through its active engagement
Find out more about the Building a Safer Future Charter at: www.buildingasaferfuture.org.uk
Wates Construction Group has appointed a new Strategy and Integration Director for its recently formed Group of businesses Wates Integrated Construction Services (WICS). This sees the engineering and specialist businesses including SES Engineering Services, Wates Building Services and Prism offsite manufacturing coming together under the WICS group.
pleased to see that WICS has already achieved such a solid foundation ready to build on. With enthusiastic support from a great team and ambitious drive from all who have been involved in its creation so far, I believe WICS has all the necessary attributes to become a market-leading construction solutions provider in the UK. I am really excited and privileged to play my role in helping it happen.”
Inna Lim (pictured) joins from Skanska UK, where she was Head of Strategic Markets, and will work closely with Wates’ Rob Clifford, who was announced last year as the Managing Director for the newly established WICS. She will be based at the firm’s London office and her role will be fundamental in helping to establish and bring to market a brand new integrated offer from Wates which will champion emerging technologies, innovation and offsite construction.
Rob Clifford, Managing Director for WICS, said that Inna’s appointment marked an important milestone in the development of the WICS offer: “We believe that Inna, with her proven track record, will be a superb addition to the WICS team. Her extensive experience in leadership, business strategy and planning make her ideal for this important role which will prove crucial in how WICS evolves and supports our customers in the future. At Wates we are committed to continuously evolving our business and offering. The newly formed WICS will be a catalyst for enhancing and connecting up our capability, enabling us to become more sustainable, more profitable and more progressive as we modernise our group and make it fit for the future.”
“What a great time to be not only joining Wates, but specifically Wates Integrated Construction Services, in such a unique period of change for our industry and economy,” said Inna. “Having spent the last 10 years in this industry, I believe we are about to enter into a period where our sector will experience the fastest technological progress to date. I am extremely 16
with the Code for Construction Product Information), and standards of Competence, (through its involvement the post-Grenfell Working Group 12, Construction Products Competence).
WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY/JUNE 2021
Source: www.wates.co.uk
