There were two London exhibitions involving Master builders through late April and May of 2022, providing an opportunity to meet with consumers and spread the message promoting the fine work our members do. In addition, one of our members helped to engage his local MP with the campaign to license UK construction – read on to find out more.

Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZs): The Good the Bad and the Ugly

A London member got in touch with me as they recently took on a job in Westminster whereby they were paying the Congestion Charge plus ULEZ plus parking fees. Just to get to site it was costing them £85 per day, before they set foot out of the van. The costs amounted to £1,700 for the duration of the job, before they had paid a penny in wages or materials. If we are going to meet the Mayor’s target of zero carbon emissions by 2030 builders need help! Our members need support to be able to access sites in London. I met with representatives for the Greater London Authority this week to reiterate these major issues, and discuss other current challenges facing SME builders in the Capital.

Helping homeowners at Grand Designs Live, London

I would like to thank all the London members who joined us at Grand Designs Live at the ExCeL centre this April and May. Members gave their time to meet with the public at the Ask The Expert centre. Attendees were able to get free impartial advice on the best ways to start their build, questions ranged from “how much should I pay for the deposit?” to “do I need planning permission?”. Attendees were grateful to be able to ask these initial questions as for many this is the first time that they have ever hired a tradesperson.

If any member would like to take part in the London Homebuilding and Renovating Show on 2 October, then please get in touch with me via email.

Championing retrofit at UK Construction Week

FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry and London Board member Nik Nelberg of Earl and Calam Design and Build Ltd spent an afternoon presenting on all things retrofit for a panel discussion during UK Construction Week in May. The FMB continues to champion the need for a National Retrofit Strategy. Nik was delighted by the interest, stating:

It’s so humbling to see the interest from the public, one question I had was around how do we get the public and more building companies to introduce these new techniques for future builds, and in my opinion it all comes down to Government support, people need funding and educating before we will see real change.”

Talking licensing with the MP for Slough

Deepak Singh Udassi of City Lofts Londonwide Limited with MP Tan Dhesi
FMB member Deepak Singh Udassi of City Lofts Londonwide Limited with MP Tan Dhesi.

London member Deepak Udassi from City Lofts Londonwide Limited met with Tan Dhesi, the MP for Slough, to discuss everything to do with licensing. In the UK, any person or company is legally allowed to undertake construction work without having to demonstrate a minimum level of competence. This means that our construction industry is not as safe, professional or productive as it might otherwise be. Mr Dhesi understood the concerns of professional builders and mentioned that maybe the key to getting government onboard is to rally the public first.

The FMB is leading the campaign to call for the introduction of a mandatory licensing scheme for UK construction firms. You can find out more about the campaign and our progress on the FMB website.

While meeting with Tan Dhesi MP, Deepak also took the opportunity to promote his new book, which Tan Dhesi has written a Foreword for. Deepak has recently written a book to help consumers navigate the world of domestic building titled How To Extend Your Home And Get It Right First Time. You can pick up a copy yourself here.

Congratulations to Deepak on becoming an author!

Authors

Sam Eden

Sam Eden

London Director, Federation of Master Builders

Sam brings his vast experience working within the energy and finance sectors, most recently working for the Architecture Registration Board. At the FMB Sam’s responsibilities cover membership engagement, public affairs, media relations, events and governance but predominantly he is the representative for FMB members within the capital and greater London working with policy makers and stakeholders to ensure SME builders are represented.