Clearview Midlands January 2014 - Issue 146 | Page 4

FROMTHEEDITOR

HAPPY NEW YEAR
I hope you got chance to enjoy the festivities
and hopefully some well-deserved rest and have
returned to work feeling positive and refreshed.
And there would certainly seem to be good
reason to enter into this New Year with a
certain degree of optimism.
Take a look at our 2014 Predictions feature,
for example, that begins on page 28 with latest
research from the FSB reporting increasing
optimism for a positive economic outlook
among its small business members, citing
easier access to finance as being the key driver
to growth this year.
Despite a very mixed Autumn Statement
from the Chancellor towards the end of last
year that contained both positives and negatives
for businesses and industry, which the GGF
discusses in more detail below, the Emplas
State of the Market Report on page 31 still puts
energy efficiency as the foundation of growth.
On page 29 Distinction Door’s new
marketing manager, Chantel Roach, speaks
to Clearview about her appointment to the

role and what the recent reshuffle means for
the direction of the company as we head
into 2014, kicking off by going back to the
company’s roots of GRP insulated door panel
supplier.
Looking now to conservatories and
David Fennings tells us on page 52 that the
conditions appear to be set for 2014 to see the
welcome return of the traditional conservatory
after somewhat of a decline, particularly for
the replacement of older conservatories with
more modern thermally efficient materials.
Now over to Europe and towards the end
of last year Roto hosted its 8th International
Trade Press Day in Brussels, Belgium with
Clearview in attendance. On page 60 the
company gives its evaluation of 2013 and
forecast for the year ahead, predicting that
residential construction in the UK will
contribute to industry recovery.

Sticking with the feel good factor for this
issue, we congratulate the worthy winners and
nominees of the G13 Awards that took place
towards the end of last year in our review that
begins on page 24.
And finally, if you are still a bit unsure about
making the transition to certified installer
ahead of the June deadline, FENSA will be
conducting a series of informative webinars
through January as well as hosting Q&A
sessions on Twitter through till March. See
page 38 for more details.
All the very best for the year ahead.
Becky Taylor,
Editor.

UNDERWHELMED BY AUTUMN STATEMENT
The GGF welcomed some of
the announcements in the
Chancellor’s Autumn Statement
but were concerned that
several key issues were not
being fully addressed to help
GGF Members and the wider
industry.
In conjunction with political
engagement firm GK Strategy’s
analysis, the positives identified
were:
• Petrol taxes to stay frozen - a
planned rise of 2p per litre for
next year is to be cancelled
• Business rates in England to
be capped at 2% rather than
linked to RPI inflation, with
some retail premises in England
to get a discount. Businesses
moving into vacant high-street
properties will have their rates
cut by 50%
• Energy efficiency grants linked
to stamp duty

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JAN 2014

• Private landlords’ support to
improve the energy efficiency
of their premises
• An additional 20,000
apprenticeships are to be
funded over the next two
years
• The abolition of employers’
National Insurance
Contributions for under 21s
will mean it will be cheaper to
employ young people
• The initiatives to increase house
building as the Government
hopes £1bn in loans will boost
housing developments in
Manchester and Leeds, among
other sites
• Councils to sell off the most
expensive social housing and
rundown urban housing estates
to be regenerated, which
will mean more funding for
refurbishment work in the
social housing sector

• Export finance capacity available
to support British businesses
will be doubled to £50bn
Nigel Rees, GGF Group Chief
Executive commented. “There
are many reasons for optimism
following the Chancellor’s
announcements, but we are
concerned that several key issues
were simply not addressed.
It’s unclear, for example, how
the Government will fund
the installation of vital energy
efficiency products in the homes

of people currently living in
fuel poverty and who will be
disproportionately impacted by
a reduction in ECO (Energy
Company Obligation). ECO is
the one green initiative that seems
to be working and diminishing
the scheme is counter-productive
for all concerned.”
Giles Willson, GGF Deputy
Chief Executive and Director
of Technical Affairs added, “I
am pleased to see a boost for
companies who are employing or
looking to employ young people.
However, the Government has yet
again missed the big opportunity
to tackle the issue of reducing the
VAT from 20% to 5% on energy
efficient windows.”
To read the full Autumn
Statement visit https://www.gov.
uk/government/topical-events/
autumn-statement-2013/about

To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com