A new report shows that local authorities across England and Wales have, in their bank accounts, an estimated £2.8 billion of unused contributions from home builders.
This is money that builders contribute through what’s known as ‘Section 106’ contributions to local authorities as part of the planning agreement, the purpose of which is to fund local services and infrastructure upgrades. Find out more about how these important funds are going unspent in this week’s blog.
After months of work developing a small apartment complex in North Street, Luton, our development team recently offered to help out at the neighbouring Luton Central Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Working within our sister company, Limon Homes, the team took some time out from their normal jobs to tidy up the church roof, complete some external painting and ensure the boundary wall looked in top tip shape on both properties. Find out more in this quick-read blog.
This summer, we realised that Sheriff Construction reached its 18th year of business. For many people, an 18th birthday is often referred to as ‘coming of age’, a point that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood.
However, that transition is never really an overnight occurrence, rather a continuous journey of growth that continues far beyond the birthday celebrations. In much the same way, Sheriff’s journey from a small family business to the much bigger organisation we’ve become today has been a long pathway to maturity and we’ve still got some more growing to do! Read more of our story here.
Research suggests that the average British construction worker consumes more than 4000 calories a day. That’s 1500 calories above the recommended daily intake for men and 2000 more than what’s recommended for women.
While the daily toll of physical labour means construction workers probably do need more fuel than the average person, the problem is that they’re often choosing unhealthy fast-food options which do not provide the best energy boost and have long-term health implications. Find out more in this week’s blog which includes some healthy alternatives for your key fuelling up times – breakfast and lunch.
With tools and equipment in almost constant use, a construction site is generally a noisy environment.
Aside from the potential for this to cause nuisance to neighbouring communities, frequent exposure to raised noise levels can have serious consequences for workers, causing problems like tinnitus (a sensation of ringing in the ears) and hearing loss.
Find out more, including how to protect yourself from these risks in this week’s blog.
Schools and colleges have broken up and, aside from the unpredictable weather, this means lots of young people will now be nervously waiting for their exam results and preparing for the next stage of their life.
While some will know exactly what they want to do, others might still be considering the options. For anyone considering a career in construction but not knowing where to start, we’ve got three steps you could follow in this week’s blog.
Following repeated calls from leaders within the construction industry, the Home Office has finally announced it is easing visa restrictions for brickies, roofers and chippies from overseas by adding them to the UK’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL).
This list is designed to help sectors where employers are struggling to fill vacancies and the move to include more construction trades has been welcomed by the Construction Leadership Council as a solution to addressing immediate skills shortages in the UK. Find out more in this week’s quick-read blog.
Last Friday we held our first summer BBQ at Sheriff Construction and raised £2612 for a wonderful charity, Macmillan Cancer Support!
Around 80 people joined us, including from our roofing, brickwork and office teams, all of which enjoyed some great food and drinks while giving generously to this worthy cause. Find out more and relive the evening in this week’s blog.
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the NHS, known worldwide as one of the first and best healthcare systems to be universally available and free at the point of delivery.
Unfortunately, while its principles are unshaken, the NHS today is under pressure due to several issues – staff shortages, backlogs from Covid and industrial action to name a few.
Is there anything the construction sector can do to help? The answer actually is ‘yes’. Construction is high-risk industry for both injuries and health issues, but focusing on preventative measures can reduce those risks (consequently reducing some of the pressure on the NHS). Read on to find out more.
Earlier this month, more than 100 UK businesses joined forces with the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) in calling upon the Government to urgently reform the planning system to tackle climate change alongside the UK’s deepening housing crisis.
In their letter to government, the coalition is asking for reforms to the planning system that would bring it in line with the Climate Change and Environment Acts and says the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (currently going through Parliament) could also be a crucial opportunity to align planning decisions with the nation’s net zero emissions target. Find out more in today’s blog.