Newsletters

As Christmas is upon us soon, are we ready? For us at home it will be the regular dashing about and all the madness that Christmas brings. That said, have you all planned your business’ Christmas shutdown? Make sure your building is secure before the Christmas break. Have you made sure all doors and windows are locked? Will your site be monitored during the festive break? Has your alarm been tested (just in case)? Are emergency contacts shared with those that need them? Will the perimiter be secured? There is a lot to worry about, but lets face it, it’s a time for family, joy, and a little bit of rest.

Looking forward to 2026, the team at Ai Solutions have a few surprises in store for our customers and supporters. So, keep an eye out for up and coming news as the New Year begins!

The team at Ai Solutions aim to make our software more accessible and thorough for CDM (and BSA). For those that want to know more, and see things in action, why not email us on [email protected] for more information. Perhaps you have specific issues you need to tackle? Or maybe you have a process in place to manage CDM, but you need a better way of demonstrating CDM Compliance? Why not speak to an expert and come and see what we have to offer?

As always we like to support our customers at all times, their problems are ours and we take support very seriously indeed. If you would like to know more about us or our amazing system, CDM ToolKit CS Cloud, then please give a member of the team a call on 01525 850343 to arrange your free demonstration with them.

HSE – Asbestos Consultation

We read that the HSE launched the Consultation for the Control of Asbestos Regulations and guidance in early November. This will be running until January 9th 2026; so, if you need to have your say, visit Legislative and Guidance Proposals for the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. There are three proposals on the table, so make sure you take part.

UK Construction Growth

A positive bit of news this month! The UK’s construction output is expected to grow 21% over the next 2 years. Private house-building, in particular, is predicted to be the main factor driving the increase. You can read more about this in Construction News.

Issues on Employment – New Report

According to Pertemps and CBI, the labour market is suffering as firms are running out of options to fund pay rises without productivity growth with the current climate of rising costs for businesses. The challenges include continued rigidity in the Growth and Skills Levy that stop organisations from being able to plug skills gaps. Along with this a new report has highlighted that the recent National Insurance Contributions (NICs) increase was the biggest factor in rising costs. If you are interested in this report visit Pertemps Network to download a copy.

New Fire Testing Objectives

The FPA, the UK’s national fire safety organisation, will provide a secure and confidential environment for fire safety tests to be undertaken for clients of UL Solutions and PartB through their independent fire testing laboratory. The independence of the FPA means that tests will be carried out in an impartial manner, at arm’s length from the client, as well as ensuring intellectual property and proprietary data are protected. A new paper is available for those of you that are interested, it is called Testing Times.

Modern Slavery Risk for UK Workers

We read in The Guardian that hundreds of workers are ‘at risk’ of modern slavery in the UK construction industry. This is according to human rights monitors (including Unseen). Data from their helpline has identified the construction industry as an emerging area of risk and it identified nearly 500 potential victims relating to construction. We need to act on this and ensure those we employ are fairly paid and have adequate welfare and work conditions.

Architect Chosen for Grenfell Memorial

We read in the Architect Times that the team led by up-and-coming practice Freehaus has been chosen to co-develop the proposed Grenfell Tower memorial, working with the bereaved and survivor families of the 2017 tragedy. It was initially reported that a planning application would be submitted in late 2026, but it is now hoped the final design will be revealed by the middle of 2027.

Viability of New Home Sales

Developers have stated that first time buyers were choosing to ‘wait’ because of the budget which has slowed things down. Along with that, with all the additional costs pushed onto buyers, there are less buyers around. Home builders are now confronted with a growing array of new policy costs, taxes, and regulations. According to recent research by Zoopla, building new homes is now financially unviable across almost half (48%) of the country. For more on this visit PCB_Viability.

Glasgow Regeneration Work Started

We see that Glasgow has started its regeneration programme and that construction has started in Glasgow East End. We understand from Scottish Housing News that the new work is supported by £19m of grant funding from Glasgow City Council. This work includes new housing in French Street that includes both affordable and private houses that will bring a much-needed boost to the city.

Radix Big Tent Think-Tank Warning

The government have been issued with a warning from Radix Big Tent Think-Tank regarding required changes in housing stock. They believe that the UK is risking a ‘health emergency’ as our climate becomes more unpredictable. They believe that the main risk factors here were age and house quality, with The Centre for Ageing Better predicting death counts will only rise. For more in this story visit Specification Online.

Nottingham A52 Upgrade - 2026

We read in Construction Enquirer that this work aims to overhaul two notorious bottlenecks on the A52 Nottingham Knight and Wheatcroft roundabouts. The aim of the upgrade is to enlarge both roundabouts, change layouts, and carve a new cut-through across the middle of the islands to keep traffic flowing between the A52’s east–west approaches. The job also includes full signal upgrades and new pedestrian crossings to improve safety. We are sure many motorists will be affected by this work but longer term there should be huge benefits.

Cardiff City Centre Remodelling

There are plans to remodel a group of buildings in Cardiff City Centre. The aim is to create a new hotel that features a roof-top pavilion and sky-bar. The proposals will see a four-storey roof-top extension added to buildings at the end of Queen Street, above ground floor units. According to Wales Online the proposals have already tabled with the council. This looks like an exciting and innovative project that will ‘lift’ the city centre.

Slips, Trips and Falls

A 69-year-old man, Andrew Layley, fell to his death while carrying out ‘roof works’ back in 2023. As a result, a self-employed builder has since been given a suspended prison sentence for failing to put in place suitable measures to protect Mr Layley. You can read the full story on the HSE website.

Administration Woes

What should have been a £450 million turnover for Merit Group Services, turned out to be a devastating administration blow. The contractual issues and delays had a huge impact on cash-flow, wish in turn caused around 350 workers to lose their jobs due to Merit announcing administration. Building has the full story.

Stress Awareness Week 2025

The beginning of November brought Stress Awareness week which raises awareness surrounding the importance of preventing stress within the workplace. As outlined on the HSE Website, employers are duty bound to prevent stress being a part of their employees work life. Did you know that stress is the leading cause of ‘ill health’ at work?

50 Pence Loss of Life

Bell Mount Farming Ltd have been fined £50,000 following a strangulation that led to the death of an employee. According to the HSE, the whole tragedy could have been avoided by simply replacing a screw, which would have cost no more than fifty pence!

We are delighted to continue our support of an outstanding Christmas Puzzle organised locally to raise money for charities around the country.

This year's Puzzle (the 36th) will be available to download from the Christmas Puzzle website from 8th December - ChristmasPuzzle.uk - or you can register now to receive a copy by email.

So far, the Puzzle has raised almost £150,000 for various good causes. The Puzzle should appeal to people who enjoy solving quality newspaper crossword puzzles. You have plenty of time to work on it so don't expect every answer to be obvious; however, unlike many puzzles that come out around this time of year, this one is designed to help you finish!

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