June 2020

Industry News
TRADE ASSOCIATION
STATUS FOR GRO
The official launch of The Green Roof
Organisation Ltd (GRO) as a not for profit
Trade Association took place on Saturday
6th June, alongside the inaugural World
Green Roof Day.
World Green Roof Day (WGRD), an online
event organised by GRO Board Members
Chris Bridgman and Dusty Gedge created a
huge buzz around green roofing across all
social media channels, including LinkedIn,
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, with
projects from over 57 countries shared and
admired around the globe. The organisers say
this campaign has shown the strength and
passion of the green roof community, as well
as the skill and talent across the roofing and
landscape industries.
Such was the success of the day, WGRD
2021 is already planned for the 6th June
2021 with the ambition of including rooftop
tours and more interactive opportunities.
Ahead of WGRD 2021, GRO will be further
developing and publishing updates to both
the Green Roof Code of Best Practice and the
GRO Fire Guidance documents, as well as
holding a fire workshop for its members to
keep them abreast of the changes MHCLG
have made – and are making – to Building
Regulations Approved Documents B.
GRO is now actively encouraging new
members to join from roofing manufacturers,
green roof system & component suppliers,
contractors, architects, ecologists,
educational establishments and anyone else
active in the Green Roof, Blue Roof and
BioSolar sectors.
www.greenrooforganisation.org
More news, updates and interviews at www.total-contractor.co.uk
SURVEY: SITES OPEN BUT ISSUES REMAIN
New data from the NFRC shows that the vast something to celebrate. However, we are still not
majority (85%) of NFRC members’ sites are back to where we were before this crisis, and the
either fully operational (61%) or at least new normal is taking its toll on productivity. With the
partially open (24%).
majority of sites operating at less than 76%
capacity, this will start to impact on project times,
However, of these, the majority (60%) are said to
even with extended operational hours and the
be operating at less than three quarters (76%) of
burden of this cost must not be unfairly loaded onto
the capacity they were at pre-Covid-19.
our members. I am pleased to see so many
The NFRC says Covid-19 Site Operating Procedures members have been able to implement the Site
have mostly bedded-in on-site for roofers, with over Operating Procedures without too much disruption.
half of NFRC members (54%) now managing to There are still teething problems to address, with
work within the constraints of the social distancing many members reporting the impracticalities of the
guidelines. However, a sizeable number of roofers two-metre rule for many tasks such as handling
(44%) still have some concerns enforcing certain heavy materials and installing rooflights. Travel still
parts of the procedures.
seems to be a big issue too, not just in cities but
particularly in rural areas.”
The data shows roofers had particular concerns
around maintaining two metres for certain tasks, He concluded: “Attention now turns to the sector’s
providing transport for those who can’t drive, a lack recovery. While members are currently finishing the
of PPE, increased costs due to providing more vans jobs they started before this crisis, it is not clear if
and delays, and losing productivity due to having there is going to be enough work generally in
fewer people on site. Some members are operating quarters three and four of this year. The upcoming
double shifts.
Budget will be a crucial opportunity to help
stimulate demand across the construction industry
Commenting on the survey results, James Talman,
through fast-tracking public sector projects,
NFRC Chief Executive, said: “The roofing industry is,
providing tax incentives to homeowners and
for the most part, back up and running again. After
commercial investors and liberalising the planning
weeks of site closures and downed tools, this is
system.”
REMOVE BARRIERS FOR SMALL BUILDERS
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) says months. Having a housing sector which includes an
Government must remove barriers to small army of SME builders will help to ensure it is more
house builders, to ensure the market can make resilient, diverse and of a high quality as we
a resilient recovery over the next six months. reshape and reimagine the sector. We must do this
in order to build the homes we need as the country
This is in response to ONS data which shows
recovers from the coronavirus. The Government
construction output fell by 40.1% in April 2020,
must look at how they can ease the structural
driven by a fall in private new housing of 59.2%.
barriers that SMEs face when it comes to bringing
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said:
forward new homes. The FMB is calling for a more
“Construction output has plummeted during the
manageable planning system and greater
lockdown. Restrictions on the housing market lead
availability of affordable land for small scale
to a significant drop in private new housing in April.
development. These are two areas which could
The fact that 1 in 3 small to medium-sized (SME)
make all the difference in terms of having a more
house builders left the sector in 2008 demonstrates
sustainable housing market.”
the acute need to support them over the next six
6 TC JUNE 2020