Build Build Build

[Gunners]

Well, looks like the rumours are true. Boris wants to build - £5bn investment in building homes, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure projects. With the general shortage of labour, combined with Brexit - those of us who are left should do well out of this. Even if you don't work for main contractors, there will be a filter down of work on the back of such projects for the smaller guys.
Could those of us who work with our hands finally be rewarded for our hard work with increased rates, plenty of work and maybe finally respected as equals to the IT geeks for what we do?
Maybe I'm dreaming? Cant be a bad thing though right lads?

 

[Shovelhands]

I see you’ve put on your rose tinted spectacles this morning Ollie...

 

[craig]

Unfortunately I can see most of this money going to consultants, and big company's that are barely keeping their heads above water, using it to prop themselves up, then creating non jobs and schemes that keep them in jobs without them doing any real work. Any work that's get done, will be done on a much reduced budget due to all the wastage at higher levels, with larger contractors under cutting each other to get the work, then with an another level of wastage, and non jobs, offering peanuts to sub contractors to do the work, with stupid payment terms, leaving poor quality work, probably overrunning, over budget, and loads of snagging jobs that never get done.
Material suppliers will bend over backwards for the `government` work, ignoring the regular customers, maybe putting their prices up to make up the shortfall from the government work.
The £5bn translates to probably less that half that in actual (poor quality) work done.

I hope I`m wrong, and decent work and money filters down to where its needed.

 

[Gunners]

Unfortunately I can see most of this money going to consultants, and big company's that are barely keeping their heads above water, using it to prop themselves up, then creating non jobs and schemes that keep them in jobs without them doing any real work. Any work that's get done, will be done on a much reduced budget due to all the wastage at higher levels, with larger contractors under cutting each other to get the work, then with an another level of wastage, and non jobs, offering peanuts to sub contractors to do the work, with stupid payment terms, leaving poor quality work, probably overrunning, over budget, and loads of snagging jobs that never get done.
Material suppliers will bend over backwards for the `government` work, ignoring the regular customers, maybe putting their prices up to make up the shortfall from the government work.
The £5bn translates to probably less that half that in actual (poor quality) work done.

I hope I`m wrong, and decent work and money filters down to where its needed.

Well thats the sad reality of what has happened in our sector in the past, but I don't think this is how it will play out. He's talking about making it easier for developers to change commercial into residential - something that I have been involved in the past and certainly work that filters down to the smaller guy on decent margins. As the big infrastructure work draws people in, those of us lower down will be in higher demand. Its already happening with some of the house builders, they are appreciating that unless they start treating sub contractors fairly, nobody will work for them. I honestly think times are changing - but it also doesn't change my view that this winter will be hard for us.
Even with the most negative outlook, I cant see todays announcement being a bad thing for us all and the larger industry in general

 

[craig]

Well thats the sad reality of what has happened in our sector in the past, but I don't think this is how it will play out. He's talking about making it easier for developers to change commercial into residential - something that I have been involved in the past and certainly work that filters down to the smaller guy on decent margins. As the big infrastructure work draws people in, those of us lower down will be in higher demand. Its already happening with some of the house builders, they are appreciating that unless they start treating sub contractors fairly, nobody will work for them. I honestly think times are changing - but it also doesn't change my view that this winter will be hard for us.
Even with the most negative outlook, I cant see todays announcement being a bad thing for us all and the larger industry in general

Too be fair I`ve not heard all his announcement, only highlights on the news which said about schools, hospitals, and roads, all big projects which I still think will be similar to my first post.
But I can see your point with developments, and conversions, and agree that's more likely to benefit to smaller setups, as it traditionally has.
Anyway, its all irrelevant as we`re not getting any of it, this side of the border in wales.

 

[Quattromike]

Anyway, its all irrelevant as we`re not getting any of it, this side of the border in wales.

Same here up in SUNNY Scotland

 

[V8Druid]

Well, looks like the rumours are true. Boris wants to build - £5bn investment in building homes, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure projects. With the general shortage of labour, combined with Brexit - those of us who are left should do well out of this. Even if you don't work for main contractors, there will be a filter down of work on the back of such projects for the smaller guys.
Could those of us who work with our hands finally be rewarded for our hard work with increased rates, plenty of work and maybe finally respected as equals to the IT geeks for what we do?
Maybe I'm dreaming? Cant be a bad thing though right lads?

when I click my fingers you will be back in the room

 

[V8Druid]

Same here up in SUNNY Scotland

jeezus .... that'll be a fourth day this year ...... I blame global warming

 

[DaveDCB]

The planning system need a change!!
I have sites with housing potential which we cannot get planning on due to a policy dating back to 1973 which has never been updated and just puts a flat “NO” on the decision notice! The problem is scientific and no one can seem to outsmart the university which has the overall answer on it! It’s a Shower of siht if you ask me!!

 

[GazCro]

Most of the money allocated for housing in many cases is wasted before the building stage. I was talking to an architect yesterday who is assisting a local housing association building 4 local needs affordable homes. He's not doing the plans but just giving advice where he can. The money to build is claimed from local council, government and charity organisations and so all has to be approved checked and double checked. Architects have to be chosen from an approved list cheapest came back at 35k. He said he could do the plans for 10k no bother and they could put 25k towards building but you have to show that the money you claimed went where you said so that can't be done. They'll probably have spent 100k before there's even a spade in the ground but that's how it is no way round it. That's one example from a very small site which is happening all over the country. I wouldn't expect to see too much of what the government promise getting through.

 

[DaveDCB]

I have said it many many times before - Too many suits not enough boots!!

 

[doobin]

Stop f****ng concreting over every bit of the country. Stop scum from breeding. Stop importing scum.

Quality of life over quantity of taxpayers.

 

[GazCro]

Stop f****ng concreting over every bit of the country. Stop scum from breeding. Stop importing scum.

Quality of life over quantity of taxpayers.

That's one thing i learned about these local housing associations that i didn't realise. Its apparently very difficult for planners to turn down their applications. A lot of towns and villages have green space left which are designated as amenity land (which basically means they cannot be built on) so members of the public couldn't get permission for houses on them but housing associations can and do.

 

[DaveDCB]

Stop f****ng concreting over every bit of the country. Stop scum from breeding. Stop importing scum.

Quality of life over quantity of taxpayers.

What’s ironic is I own about 1 acre of concrete yard which I want to rip up and put 2 eco houses on!

 

[GazCro]

What’s ironic is I own about 1 acre of concrete yard which I want to rip up and put 2 eco houses on!

I bet if you sold it to a housing association they could get planning. But you'd only get 15k per plot max.

 

[DaveDCB]

I bet if you sold it to a housing association they could get planning. But you'd only get 15k per plot max.

We have a contact who specialises in traveller sites, it’s a last resort but I’m pretty sure I know what they’d rather on our site (Probably the caravans thinking about it!!!)

 

[Lynchy]

Well,judging by the current 'big' project I've been on 2 sites at,5billion won't got far,put on road for two weeks,told them won't stand 40 t dumpers....dig it out,roughly lol layed conc...dig it out,level for conc pad,supervisor tell me -16 mm wtf,can't get any type one so using what I've dig out of corner of yard...2/4"random stuff lol
Supervisor n slinger spend twenty mins trying to knock mini digger bucket pins out,new driver told them not quick hitch ....funny there's hoses going to it,jumped in drop bucket off,mucking away with 14t duck into 30 t ADT.....dozer driver tracking back n forward endlessly GPS,not pushing up to me,painfull watching n working for these clowns

 

[V8Druid]

That's one thing i learned about these local housing associations that i didn't realise. Its apparently very difficult for planners to turn down their applications. A lot of towns and villages have green space left which are designated as amenity land (which basically means they cannot be built on) so members of the public couldn't get permission for houses on them but housing associations can and do.

we fought a rural exception site for years, in the village ... simply because there were far more suitable, convenient, well serviced, better located, PERFECT sites within the village, without swallowing up a big chunk of one of the few regularly productive fields, bordering the village.
no one else could ever do it, only HA,s/social housing providers. The land owner, the agents, architects and HA were all 'connected' .......

they were on the point of giving up, we're told and the Welsh gov. rubber stamped it ..... was on a very sloping site ... ground-works to build a level 'plateau' on which to build was over £800k ... before they even started ... for eight houses .... so they were a really affordable proposition. Land owner got massive uplift from Ag. value. ...FOI request eventually put the cost of those 8 houses at £1.35M
only victory we did achieve was that they all had to go to locals in need .... so there were no imported dross put in them ....... could have built twice as many for less money on any of the available alternate sites .......

whole thing stank from start to finish

 

[V8Druid]

What’s ironic is I own about 1 acre of concrete yard which I want to rip up and put 2 eco houses on!

depending on location ..... try McCarthy and Stone ... get a trusted friend to introduce it to them, to be able to claim the 2% finders fee .. you won't get it as the land owner .... they're always looking for flat level sites ... ideally close to town centres .... would get 50+ apartments on an acre

 

[V8Druid]

We have a contact who specialises in traveller sites, it’s a last resort but I’m pretty sure I know what they’d rather on our site (Probably the caravans thinking about it!!!)

just park some pikies on there anyway .... planners'd soon adopt a different attitude