Issue 5 - Sept/Oct2007 - South London Business

September/October 2007 News 11
times ahead
distribution and technology – anticipate
pay increases as high as six per cent.
Respondents in construction, finance
and technology expect a boost to business
confidence over the coming months, but
distributors, manufacturers and retailers
are more guarded in their speculation.
Access to clients and markets, public
transport links and quality of life are the
most important reasons for locating a
business in South London, according
to respondents, but high labour costs
are a significant issue for many, as
is the inadequate road network.
And some believe Mayor Livingstone’s
central London congestion charge is a
barrier to trade, particularly those who
service West End and City businesses
from bases in South London.
A mere one in ten respondents
choose South London for the quality
of its business premises and there were
concerns expressed elsewhere in the
survey about the suitability and the state
of repair of some commercial space.
The three most significant commercial
issues for South London businesses, as
highlighted by the survey, are finance
(38 per cent), premises (36 per cent)
and staff retention (33 per cent).
Transport links (41 per cent) and
crime (34 per cent) are the other
Construction companies
from London can now
take advantage of a new
support package from
Envirowise to help them
take action on waste and allow them to
grab their share of potential national
savings worth over £100 million.
Across the region, 8 million tonnes
of construction waste is generated
annually (1) , meaning there is great scope
for reduction. And with new government
legislation proposed for the sector, now is
a good time for the region’s companies to
take action.
A new guide – available free from
www.envirowise.gov.uk/swmpguide
– details the benefits to local companies
in implementing Site Waste Management
Plans (SWMPs). It contains practical
guidance on getting started with tackling
waste and can help smooth the way to
construction sites using materials in a
more sustainable, cost efficient way.
The guide will be followed by an
interactive toolkit and a series of regional
workshops. The resource efficiency
programme is also offering London
companies specialist training on SWMPs
delivered at their own premises for
between 10-20 staff responsible for waste.
areas where a significant number of
respondents want action taken.
More than half the survey’s respondents
(51 per cent) occupy office accommodation,
Peter Pledger, chief
executive of South
London Business, is
delighted with the
results of the survey.
He said: “The more
we know about what
makes business tick in
South London, the better we are able to
represent its needs to government and
others at regional, national and European
levels. Last year’s survey was an attempt
to get beneath the pan-London view of
business, which is inevitably distorted
by the predominance of international
businesses in the City and the West End.
In only its second year we have established
a way to look specifically at the state
of business in an important area of the
capital away from the centre. It is good to
see such a positive response, in terms of
both the numbers taking part and their
general view of their prospects. But it is
also helpful to know what they see as the
crucial issues in the sub-region.”
advertising feature
Envirowise helps construction firms implement SWMPs
Markus Herz, London regional manager
for Envirowise, says: “The current cost of
waste to construction businesses locally is
substantial, particularly as the true cost of
waste can be up to 15 times more than the
cost of disposal.
“We are committed to
supporting London’s
companies in their
implementation of
SWMPs, particularly in
light of its proposed legal
enforcement”
“The launch of this new guide gives local
construction businesses a starting point
for getting to grips with tackling waste
on-site, and enables them to do this in
a systematic way, starting with tips on
implementing a straightforward ten-point
waste-busting action plan. And companies
should remember that for each tonne of
waste they cut, they are saving themselves
money, as well as having a positive impact
on the local environment.”
Envirowise is hoping the construction
industry will use SWMPs as a way of
with 26 per cent in light industrial units and
15 per cent in retail or restaurant premises.
Almost a third (30 per cent) of
respondents are considering either
relocating within the South London
area or acquiring additional space.
They are principally influenced in their
decision-making by affordability (38 per
cent), quality of premises (28 per cent) and
access to transport links (23 per cent).
Just five per cent of respondents
say they want to leave South London
– they are mainly manufacturers,
retailers, wholesalers or suppliers
of business services.
We would like to know
what you think of the
results of the survey.
Do they correspond to
your own experiences
of trading in South
London? In the next issue
of our magazine we’ll
be including a followup
article with your
views and thoughts.
Please email: magazine@
southlondonbusiness.co.uk
managing and ultimately reducing the 109
million tonnes of waste it produces annually.
Around 13 per cent of the materials
delivered to UK construction sites are
discarded unused. With firms currently
paying out £24 per tonne in landfill tax,
Envirowise estimates that the sector is
currently squandering more than £100
million just through the disposal of unused
materials. And, with this tax set to double
by 2010, the financial impact on companies
that fail to act will only increase.
Markus continued: “We are committed
to supporting London’s companies in their
implementation of SWMPs, particularly in
light of its proposed legal enforcement.”
For more general advice regarding
the sustainable use of construction
resources, companies can visit
www.envirowise.gov.uk/construction
or call the Envirowise Advice Line on
0800 585 794 quoting reference L001.
Businesses can also register to receive
free email alerts on existing and
forthcoming environmental legislation
from www.netregs.gov.uk
(1) Defra: Estimated re-use, recycling and
disposal of hard construction and demolition
and excavation waste by region in 2005
www.southlondonbusiness.co.uk