News from Thomas Consulting

This newsletter contains news and events of interest to companies operating in the construction industry

Issue 15

Planning conditions Do Not Have to Hit Your Pocket!
Most developers will view Planning Conditions at best as a nuisance but at worst a substantial additional cost. In many of cases this may well be the correct, so imagine the delight of one of our clients when we were able to solve a planning condition problem and leave them with a seven figure bonus!

Severe Problems for Smaller Construction Businesses
The Centre for Business Innovation and Enterprise, at Birmingham City Business School has published a report that concludes the current economic crisis is going to have devastating effect on the future of SME contractors in construction. The report identifies that current supply chain procurement methods are hitting this sector of construction particularly hard and in particular firms that extensively use plant such as excavators, loaders and dumpers to perform their business functions.

Make Sure Your Designers Have a Party Plan!
You have obtained your planning consent and feeling pretty pleased with yourself because you can get on with the development or extension you have wanted for so long; but are you about to come up against another costly brick wall?

Proposed Changes to the Building Regulations Will Bring Benefits.
Scottish Building Standards (SBS) permit qualified, accredited engineers to self certify their designs. Thomas Consulting have been accredited by Structural Engineers Registration (SER) Ltd for some time. We are very experienced with the SBS system and believe that plans to adopt a similar scheme throughout the UK will drive up design standards.

Take Advice and Avoid the Need for an Expert!
The earliest known use of an expert witness in English law is thought to have occurred in 1782 when a court had to decide why the Norfolk harbour of Wells was silting up. A leading civil engineer, John Smeaton, was allowed to give evidence. Smeaton became the first of new form witness the Expert Witness. The decision of that court is widely cited as the root of the modern rules that allow experts to technically evaluate facts or actions and their conclusions to be used to decide a dispute

Can you Bury Your Problems?
The HSE has identified asbestos as the single greatest cause of work related deaths in the UK. It is described as the hidden killer and some unscrupulous people are making it more difficult to find.

I Never Knew You Did That!
Each year Thomas Consulting receive various interesting commissions; some are more unusual than others! We see our role in all of our commissions as essentially acting as problem solvers. Our clients want to achieve a given aim but have technical issues that need solving and we endeavour to solve the problems expeditiously and painlessly.

Planning Problems
An Ombudsman's report published on 31st October this year criticised South Holland District Council for ignoring legal advice and taking enforcement action against a housing developer contrary to legal advice and national planning policy guidance. This is another example of the failure of the Byzantium planning system and those charged with its management failing in their duties. The matter raises serious issues regarding the operation of development control and use planning policies in England and Wales.

We All Have Traffic Problems But Some Have More Than Others.
Developers often face traffic problems but a recent commission for Thomas Consulting needed some of the skills of Sherlock Holmes to be applied. Architects, JMP of Lancaster, approached us to undertake a Transport Assessment (TA) for a proposed business park on the eastern side of Cornforth. The multi million pound development was being built for Strong Developments Ltd.

Staff and Office News
In today's economic climate it is more important than ever that businesses need to find better ways of working and work efficiently if they are to be successful and be able to provide their clients with the best service possible.

Health and Safety News
Marks and Spencer plc and three of its contractors have been fined for putting members of the public, staff and construction workers at risk of exposure to asbestos-containing materials during the refurbishment of two stores in Reading and Bournemouth. The fines and costs totalled nearly £2m, reflecting the seriousness of exposing people to asbestos, the biggest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK; an estimated 4,000 people dying every year from asbestos related diseases.

Events for Your Diary and New Publications
A selection of interesting future events and new publications affecting the construction sector.

Issue 14

Issue 13

Issue 12

Issue 11

Issue 10

Earlier Issues