What were the big moments for the construction industry and the FMB in 2022?

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), which ran from 7 – 13 February in England, helps to celebrate contribution that apprentices make to the industry. During NAW, we spoke to members about their experiences training apprentices, and we hosted a webinar with CITB focusing on how to attract and retain top talent in your workforce. We know there is a growing, persistent skills shortage in the construction industry and we continue to campaign for change.

In late February, tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalated when Russian troops invaded. Builders in the UK, who had already faced the challenges of building material shortages and price increases due to the Covid-19 pandemic, were now bracing themselves for the effects of the war. We provided guidance to members on how the war in Ukraine affected the cost of building supplies, and we explored the impacts of international affairs on the global supply chain and UK building materials. We also continue to work with the Construction Leadership Council’s Product Availability Group to provide regular updates.

RetrofitWorks is a not-for-profit cooperative with a mission to lower energy bills, create healthy homes and help the UK to move towards net zero. We partnered with RetrofitWorks so that FMB members can access expert guidance and retrofit project opportunities to help develop their green skills and knowledge of sustainable building practices.

The Winter Olympics kicked off in February starting two weeks of international competition. Great Britain took home two medals in total (one gold, one silver), but it was Norway that dominated the competition taking home the most gold medals (16) and the most medals in total (37) of the games.  

National Apprenticeship Week in Scotland took place from 7 – 11 March, and helped to shine a light on the role apprenticeships plan in supporting people, employers and the economy in Scotland. In February and March, FMB Scotland Director Gordon Nelson caught up with three construction apprentices to find out more about their experiences.

In March, we partnered with the Building Safety Group to offer a new Safety Plus package, which provides members in Great Britain with access to premium H&S software (BSG Rams) and expert H&S advice for a minimum cost of £6.42 +VAT per month (Or £77 + VAT for annual payments). The software includes 115+ templates such as Risk and COSHH Assessments, which have been developed by chartered H&S practitioners and help builders to save time while also remaining compliant.

On 23 March, the Chancellor announced the Government’s Spring Statement and we unpicked the five key takeaways for micro, small and medium-sized building companies. This included a VAT reduction on energy efficiency home improvements to homes, cut to fuel tax, a focus on training, changes to National Insurance contributions, and the end of the red diesel rebate.

The FMB, together with wider construction industry, campaigned for the end of the red diesel rebate to be postponed for 12 months to help support construction businesses that were already under pressure from rising costs. Despite these efforts, the Government proceeded with its plans and from 1 April 2022, red diesel could no longer be used in machines engaged on a construction project.

The new VAT rules were introduced for energy efficiency works in April. Builders can now install energy efficiency products in homes and charge 0% VAT to customers on these works. Read our guidance for builders on what products and processes are covered under the new rules and what it means for their businesses.

The Building Safety Act, which introduces a series of ground-breaking health and safety reforms, became law in April 2022. The new legislation has major implications for the construction sector including SME building contractors. This year we hosted a webinar to explain what the Act means for SME builders, and we’ll continue to provide updates in 2023.

Changes to the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 came into force this year. The changes extend the responsibilities of employers when it comes to PPE by establishing a broader definition of a ‘worker’ and requiring employers to provide PPE free of charge to this broader group. Find out what this means for your work sites.

We were excited to launch our new TV and radio advertising campaign to raise awareness of the FMB among homeowners and promote the FMB’s Find a Builder service. Didn’t see the ad? Watch the TV advert. The 2022 campaign ran in the South West of England, but watch this space for further updates in 2023.

Extravagant events took place across the UK for several days in June to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. This unprecedented occasion marked an incredible 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

The Government launched a new Help to Build scheme aimed at boosting activity in the self and custom build sector by enabling consumers to access government-backed loans between 5%-20% (up to 40% in London) of the total estimated value of the plot of land and build cost. This should mean more work for small, local quality house builders such as FMB members.

• In England, significant changes to building regulations came into effect on 15 June, and further changes are expected in 2025. The changes relate to new homes, extensions, existing buildings, and non-domestic buildings, and are aimed at improving the energy efficiency of properties in the UK. We produced guidance and hosted a webinar to help members understand how the changes will affect their business.
• In Wales, new mandatory quality standards for social housing were proposed and views have been sought from the industry.
• In Scotland, some changes to building regulations were also introduced including a ban on combustible cladding materials and changes to the environment and energy standards.
• In Northern Ireland, changes to the building regulations have also been proposed.

In July, we hosted our first in-person national conference in three years in London, which was supported by CITB and TradePoint. Discussions focused on the vital role SMEs can play in helping to upgrade millions of properties across the UK. Speakers included Lord Callanan, Minister for Climate Change and Corporate responsibility; Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of CITB; Lynne Sullivan OBE, Buildings Lead for the Green Construction Board, and more.

In August, Ofgem announced it would be increasing the energy price cap for households to £3,549. The new price gap, which represents an 80% increase, only applies to domestic energy bills, not businesses. We’ve been calling for extra support for small businesses and we’ve also issued guidance to members on how to reduce energy bills in the workplace, plus 11 practical tips to manage cash flow to help builders get their finances in order.

In August we set out our five top asks of the new UK Government led by Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister. Just a short time later we welcomed new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to the role. During this turbulent political period, we continued to work closely with both the Government and Opposition to strengthen relationships with MPs and civil servants and ensure the voice of small builders across the UK was heard.

FMB Scotland played a leading role at the first ever Green Home Festival, which was held in Scotland from 8 – 12 August. The festival included online and in-person events which offered demonstrations, hands-on guidance, and engaging discussions to encourage all attendees to consider how we can work together to become more energy efficient.  

On behalf of all members, FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry wrote to The Private Secretary to The King to express our deepest sympathies to the Royal Family. We also issued guidance for building companies on some key considerations for business operations during the period of national mourning in September.

​​​​​​In September, we hosted our annual Parliamentary Reception, sponsored by B&CE, to project the voice of our members to both politicians and industry representatives. Speakers from the Government and Opposition emphasised the need the retrofit the nation’s homes and the vital role that small, local builders play in the UK economy.

We launched an updated version of our ‘Guide to development finance for small and medium-sized house builders’, which is done in collaboration with UK Finance. This guide will take you through the development process and highlight what financing options are available.

Guide to development finance for small and medium-sized housebuilders

This guide, by UK Finance and the FMB, is aimed at helping you better understand development finance, where it sits within the housebuilding process and what you need to do to secure finance.

Download the guide

The Master Builder Awards celebrate exceptional teams and tradespeople as well as projects of all shapes, sizes and budgets, to help Master Builders get the industry recognition they deserve. Nominations are now open!

We partnered with the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) to publish a report titled ‘Train local, work local, stay local’ which set out a clear path for how we can achieve net zero and increase the pace of retrofitting homes across the UK.

Starting in early 2023, we’ll be rolling out a six-month business coaching pilot programme to help FMB members learn more about how to grow their business and improve their business management skills. Check out the details and sign up today! (The programme is only open to active FMB members).

Public sector contracts are designed to ensure that wider economic and social matters are considered when awarding tenders so decisions are not based on price alone. New legislation is being developed in Wales to ensure public bodies provide greater evidence of the wider benefits that they are delivering to communities through their contracts. This is positive news for local Master Builders who are often best place to deliver community benefits.

We worked with the Construction Leadership Council to produce a comprehensive new guide to help builders understand how to get started as a small housing developer. The guide is packed with practice advice and information and includes guidance from other experts in the industry.

Our conference, sponsored by B&CE, provider of The People’s Pension, brought together policy makers, industry stakeholders and Master Builder companies in a live and virtual audience, to debate skills, retrofit, and standards in construction. Catch up on the conference insights and tune in to the recorded conference presentations.

The Department of Infrastructure has launched a new planning portal, which is operating with 10 of 11 regional councils in Northern Ireland. The new streamlined portal makes it easier for people to submit and review applications online and report breaches of planning control. The new system replaces the Northern Ireland Planning Portal (NIPP).

Of course, who can forget to mention the World Cup? The Three Lions caused much excitement when they qualified for the quarter-final, only to let the dreams of a nation slip away in the match to France. Maybe we’ll have better luck next time?