DECEMBER 2018 | 41
Business
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
NEW PREMIER WINDOWS
WEBSITE GETS RESULT – JUST
HOURS AFTER GOING LIVE
When top installer
GOVERNMENT’S HACKITT
WELCOMED BUT ‘GAPS
REMAIN’ IN IMPLEMENTATION
Bureau Veritas has welcomed the
Government’s recent response to the
Housing, Communities and Local Govern-
ment Select Committee’s proposals on the
Hackitt report, stating that many of recom-
mendations on fire safety and construction
will “undoubtedly” result in a safer built
environment.
Following the publication in May of the
Hackitt report into the Grenfell tragedy, the
Housing, Communities and Local Govern-
ment Select Committee was tasked with
summarising the findings of the independ-
ent review on building regulations and
making a series of recommendations for the
Government to consider. One such proposal
already given the green light is the ban on
combustible cladding, which will apply to
all high-rise residential buildings.
Andy Lowe, director of building control
at Bureau Veritas, comments: “The Govern-
ment’s response to the Housing, Communi-
ties and Local Government Select Commit-
tee’s recommendations includes many good
points, which will undoubtedly result in a
safer built environment.
“However, there remain gaps in imple-
mentation that will require a concerted
effort from all engaged in the construction
industry in order to gain the confidence of
the general public in terms of creating safer
buildings.
“While the ban on combustible materials
in cladding will apply to all high-rise resi-
dential buildings, the select committee also
considers this applicable to new schools,
hospitals, care homes, student accommoda-
tion buildings in England with a floor above
18m. It remains to be seen if funders and in-
surers will go even further in this aspect and
extend the ban to all types of buildings.
“The Committee has also called for a
retrospective ban of this material on exist-
ing buildings, but this is a complex issue
and a fire safety assessment process is
favoured for those buildings. The Govern-
ment has stated it favours such a ban and
even if you have lodged a Building Regula-
tion application, unless works are com-
menced on a site, then the ban would be
effective. Existing buildings would be sub-
ject to review and any material alteration
works would then see the ban enforced on
the cladding being replaced.
“The compulsory use of sprinklers in
existing buildings was also another impor-
tant point highlighted by the committee,
which the Government has said it will take
into consideration. Currently in Wales and
Scotland, residential properties are already
subject to sprinkler installation require-
ments at a lower height than in England. If
the Government does legislate this aspect
in England, it will be interesting to see if
it can provide the necessary funding to
retrofit local authority-owned buildings.
“In a bid to provide complete transpar-
ency, the Government is also consider-
ing tightening product testing, involving
technical aspects where although some of
materials can be used safely, the mech-
anism to allow that needs to be more
rigorous. Any new testing would need
to be thorough and reflective of what is
actually being built rather than the current
BS8414 test.
“Later this year, the Government will
also release an updated Approved Docu-
ment B with precise definitions and clear-
er guidance on all aspects of fire safety
including cladding.”
www.bureauveritas.co.uk
Premier Windows needed
a brand-new website to
make them stand out as the
high-quality choice when it
comes to windows, doors
and glazed extensions,
they knew who to turn to –
Purplex.
The leading full-service
marketing agency in the
construction industry have
a reputation for building
websites that get compa-
nies noticed.
And it didn’t take long
for Premier Window’s
new website to get some
attention once it had gone
live, just a couple of hours
in fact.
A perspective customer
with a new build project
visited the website and
called them straight away.
Nathan Moore, Managing
Director of Premier Win-
dows, said: “The customer
called us within two hours
of the website going live,
said they had been looking
for an installer in the local
area and ours was the best
website they had been on,
and that’s why they got in
touch. It was amazing.
“We wanted a website
that reflects our no-pres-
sure sales approach and
the high-quality products
and professional service we
provide, and the new site
captures all this perfectly.”
www.premierwindows.
uk.com
www.purplexmarketing.com
Conservatory Outlet Ltd
Announced as Wakefield
Manufacturer of the Year 2018
Leading UK fabricator,
Conservatory Outlet Ltd,
Wakefield has been recog-
nised as ‘Manufacturer of the
Year 2018’ at the Wakefield
Manufacturing Awards. The
company was presented its
trophy at the high-profile
ceremony which took place
on 4th October - the first ever
event to solely recognise and
celebrate excellence in man-
ufacturing across Wakefield
and the wider District.
Specialising in the design
and manufacture of some
of the most innovative
high-quality windows, doors
and living spaces in the UK,
Conservatory Outlet Ltd was
selected for the top award by
judges for the way in which
it adds value to its service
offering for its Network of
customers and works so
closely with its supply chain
to achieve growth.
The judges were also
impressed with the compa-
ny’s efforts to embed their
new vision & values across
the business, and for their
investment in training and
workforce development to
ensure the long-term future
and security of the firm and
its team.
The Wakefield Manu-
facturing Awards were
organised by the Wakefield
Manufacturing Forum to
recognise and pay hom-
age to a vital sector in the
District.
www.conservatoryoutlet.
co.uk