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Taking on the FMB national presidency in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is not going to be easy, but Jan Etchells is ready for the challenge.

Sarah Chilcott, Managing Director at the Planning Portal, reveals what this means in practice.

As we continue to face restrictions on the way we live and work, we can take some comfort from stories of good deeds to support others when they need it most.

The Government has committed to delivering the biggest change in building safety for a generation, including plans to extend the cladding ban and an update on fire sprinklers, with its new Building Safety Programme.

The UK’s competition authority is asking businesses about ‘Cheating or Competing?’ after new research revealed that only 6% of construction firms were familiar with competition law.

Conditions are improving for small house builders thanks to FMB lobbying.

The Federation of Master Builders has become an official supporter of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity. This is the only charity to provide financial and emotional support to the construction community and their families who have suffered an injury, illness or just needs some extra support.

We know Master Builders are among the best builders in the UK and some of the best building projects of the year were on display at the national Master Builder Awards ceremony on Friday 20th September 2019.

The ‘Licence to build’ research report was published by the FMB last summer, and since then we have been gathering support in principle from a wide range of stakeholders.

It’s no secret that construction is suffering a severe skills shortage. The latest statistics from the FMB State of Trade Survey show that 64 per cent of companies are struggling to hire bricklayers, and 59 per cent are struggling to hire carpenters/joiners. The SME sector leads the way in training the next generation, with two-thirds of all construction apprentices trained by small firms.

Obtaining the finance to allow SME house builders to build the homes the country desperately needs is still a major challenge.

With so much disruption on the UK’s political landscape it may be difficult to see the wood for the trees. Tucked away in the Autumn 2018 budget was a valuable temporary tax relief which has gone largely unnoticed - effectively benefiting from £1 tax relief for every £1 spent on plant and machinery purchases.

A £630k investment by FW Capital which manages the North East Property Fund has given a North East construction company the opportunity to pursue its first multi-plot residential development.