The Mayor of London has launched a £3.6m programme to improve energy efficiency in social housing across the capital, including replacing heating systems.

Indoor environment specialist Swegon has acquired the well-known grilles and difussers manufacturer Waterloo Air Products.

On 17th March, chief Treasury secretary Steve Barclay announced that introduction of the proposed IR35 tax reforms would be delayed until 6th April 2021.

The March 2020 Budget was delivered against the backdrop of the global outbreak of COVID-19. Its main thrust therefore was to support UK business through uncertainty and instability.

MPs and the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group (SEC Group) are trying to ensure that proposed changes to retentions legislation is not overlooked during a time of national crisis.

The team here at MBS hopes that you are well and finding a way to continue your work in these challenging times.

The first CSA conference takes place on 31st March at The Crystal in London.

Greater electrification of building services will be central to global decarbonisation efforts.

Health experts call for LAs to gain more powers and funding to address poor indoor air quality.

The lower GWP refrigerant R32 will command 80% of the total splits market

The ECA says that an end to easy employment of foreign workers is an opportunity to train a UK workforce.

Housing Minister Robert Jenrick is considering creating a fast-track planning process for “beautiful buildings and spaces”. He said well-designed, high quality homes and tree-lined streets should be the “norm not the exception” following the publication of the final report from The Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.

The author of the post-Grenfell review of building safety believes the industry lacks the necessary “leadership and drive to bring about change”.

An agreement between the EU and the UK to continue the mutual recognition of professional certification should put minds at ease throughout the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, according to the UK’s primary F Gas register REFCOM.

An urgent review of building ventilation strategies should be carried out to help tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

Proposed changes to building regulations will make buildings less energy efficient, according to groups of engineers and architects.

The British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) is again promoting its training course on the importance of CE Marking for pumps. The Association says that non-compliant pumping equipment remains a major problem in the UK market, where CE marking is compulsory.

Property developer Rockwell has today begun construction on a mixed-use scheme at 82 West India Dock Road which will include London’s largest and tallest Premier Inn hotel, alongside new homes, adjacent to Westferry DLR station. The £151m project will rejuvenate the formerly derelict Westferry site.

As part of the EU Commission’s ongoing revision to the Eco-Design Directive, pump manufacturers across Europe want to implement the extended product approach (EPA) for water pumps. This is in contrast to the EU, which appears to want to stay with the ‘narrow’ approach for water pumps adopted in 2009.

Toyota has revealed plans to build a prototype “city” of the future on a 175-acre site at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. Announced at CES 2020, the global consumer technology show in Las Vegas, the Woven City will be a fully connected ecosystem, powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

The Wates Group, one of the UK’s leading privately-owned construction, development and property services companies, has today committed to eliminating waste and carbon from its operations by 2025.

Smart buildings research specialist Memoori’s latest market report shows continued massive global investment in smart buildings during 2019.

The Sustainable Energy Association (SEA) has published a paper today demonstrating how regulation could put heating on the path to reach net-zero by 2050.

Government has introduced the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) which will coming into force from 1st April 2020.

The government has launched a review into the introduction of changes to ‘off-payroll’ working rules which are to start in April 2020. There is no indication of a delay, rather the aim is to ensure ‘smooth implementation’ of the reforms.

In January, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance arguing that poor air quality in dwellings is an ‘imminent risk’ to people’s health.

Small business owners and their employees are facing reduced or late salary payments because of late payment practises from buyers, according to a survey from the ECA and BESA.

Speaking to MBStv at November’s BESA Conference head of REFCOM Graeme Fox warned that training and competence are crucial factors in the successful move away from domestic fossil-fuel heating systems.

The latest sector-wide Building Engineering Business Survey shows that sector growth remained steady in the third quarter of 2019.

The Commissioning Specialists Association (CSA) has gained sponsorship from two of the largest organisations in commissioning for its Conference in March.

CIBSE has announced the winners of the Society of Digital Engineering Awards 2019 with BuroHappold Engineering winning three out of eight categories and the best of the Best award.

The ECA has announced that nominations for the 2020 ECA awards are now open. The awards aim to recognise top performing businesses and individuals across the electrotechnical and engineering industry.

A new report by the Heat Pump Association has identified an undeveloped installer base and consumer acceptability as the main problems for heat pumps going forward.

The SEC Group is driving a campaign to introduce new legislation on late payments. The Group has said that it will contact all political parties on 13th December to seek support for a change in the law.

Lord Rupert Redesdale, chief executive of the Energy Managers Association, warned of an “environmental catastrophe” at the 2019 EMEX event.

Baroness Brown, deputy chair of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has warned that action needs to be taken towards reaching net zero and that there are “significant risks” if the UK fails to act.

Following the launch of its report Industrial Strategy for decarbonising oil heated homes, OFTEC has criticised the government and industry focus on shifting oil-heated homes towards heat pumps.

The Conservative Party won the December 12th 2019 General Election with 364 seats in the House of Commons, and Boris Johnson remains UK Prime Minister. The result gave the Conservatives a comfortable majority in Parliament and the power to continue the process of taking the UK out of the European Union.

A new report showing the latest trends for HVAC has been published by Wakefield Research.

A survey has found that 90% of business owners across construction suffer mental health issues due to payment and other business pressures.

CIBSE has announced its shortlist for the 2020 Building Performance Awards which aim to recognise and reward engineering excellence.

Building services J S Wright is to help start the residential phase of a £4 million regeneration scheme in Wimbledon.

A survey from commercial property services firm Cushman & Wakefield shows that the popularity of co-working office space continues to grow, with greater use predicted over the next five years.

The Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group has launched a campaign to obtain a commitment from all parliamentary candidates in the general election on some of the industry’s most pressing issues.

Television architect and presenter George Clarke called for state intervention to solve “the biggest housing crisis the country has ever seen,” as he was made a visiting professor at Birmingham City University.

The 2019 BRSIA Briefing focused on climate change as speakers warned of the dangers rising global temperatures pose. BSRIA CEO, Julia Evans OBE, summarised the challenges that lie ahead: “We don’t know everything, but we know that we’re in trouble.”

Experts in the heating and cooling sectors have predicted a convergence of heating and cooling technologies with the drive to greater use of clean electricity.

The ECA has warned that the risk of major fire remains despite the publication of the Hackitt Report and Raising the Bar publication.

Rudi Klein, chief executive of the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ Group highlighted the potential benefits of a regulatory body for the construction sector.

The 2019 BESA National Conference called on the building services sector to make changes in its practices before they are imposed by government.