NEWS | DIGEST New rules aim to improve delivery of public contracts IN BRIEF Offsite tower finished in record time A 14-storey residential tower in Southend, Essex, has been completed in just a few months, according to prefabrication supplier British Offsite. The 53m Victoria Central apartment block made extensive use of the companys factorybuilt Uni Panel system, which British Offsite says resulted in the envelope of the building being completed in 30% less time than if using traditional building methods. In all, 665 Uni Panels were assembled to cover around 2,640 metres. Our products help reduce the risk and delays in construction, and help deliver occupiable homes faster, said British Offsite managing director Shaun Weston. Replacing EU regulations will make it easier to exclude poorly performing firms The government says it wants to simplify rules on procurement to stop poorly performing contractors bidding for public sector jobs. A green paper explains how it intends to replace bureaucratic EU regulations with simpler and more flexible rules that give the Steve Barclay claims new rules would make it easier for small firms to win jobs BBC exposes black market in refrigerants An undercover BBC report has revealed the ease with which black-market refrigerant gas is being brought into the UK, undermining restrictions imposed by the F-Gas regulation. Reporters followed an online advertising trail to Romania and found traders smuggling Chinesemade gas across the border with Ukraine. The journalists were able to buy illicit R404A and R134a, which was then transported in cars and on public buses into the UK. The BBC team also traced illegal refrigerant, being openly advertised for sale on Facebook, to a seller operating out of a house in London. Sales of global warming refrigerant gas is subject to strict quotas under the European F-Gas regulation that the UK continues to mirror since its departure from the EU. Wates to design 450m gigafactory Envision AESC has appointed Wates and Turner & Townsend to lead the design of a 450m car battery gigafactory in South Tyneside and Sunderland. Wates will supply the infrastructure, while Turner & Townsend will provide project and cost management services at the 50-hectare site at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park. The gigafactory will form part of a 1bn partnership with Nissan UK and Sunderland City Council to create an electric vehicle hub. government more power to exclude firms that have failed to deliver projects on budget or on time, and that have demonstrated a less-than-rigorous approach to safety and environmental issues. It also wants future procurement to give greater priority to bids that offer social value, including more work opportunities for local people, helping to build back from the pandemic, and supporting the transition to net zero. Currently, suppliers can only be excluded from government contracts if there has been a significant breach of contract. Leaving the EU gives us the perfect chance to make our own rules for how the governments purchasing power can be used to promote strong values, said Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay. While doing so, were increasing transparency and ensuring that procurement remains fair and open. He added that this would be part of the levelling up agenda and would make it easier for small businesses to win work, including having access to a central registration platform that only requires them to submit company information once for all public sector bids. Industry must broaden its appeal and change the conversation about skills The building engineering sector will not address its skills shortages if it keeps trying to replicate the past, says the CIBSE Patrons. The group of businesses, which supports the work of the Institution, believes the push for net zero carbon should prompt a radical rethink of the type and range of skills required by the industry, with more people recruited from financial, IT/digital, creative, energy systems, and artificial intelligence backgrounds. Net zero should change the conversation for our profession, said Andy Sneyd, managing director of Exyte Hargreaves. It requires different skills and a new outlook, which will only come if we reach out to people from all backgrounds. Patrons chair Scott Mason believes building services engineers will still play a vital role, but will need to collaborate and recruit more widely and beyond their traditional networks. We need a radical rethink if we are to broaden the appeal of this industry and of Patrons, in particular. We are in a strong position to lead this change on behalf of the sector because we represent the whole supply chain, he said. Committee member Josh Emerson added that the industry had access to technology and design processes appropriate to net zero, but he questioned whether it had the right skills balance. We are working with cutting-edge products and smart systems that bring the dream of net zero closer. But we will need to look well beyond our traditional boundaries to find people with the creative skills and imagination to apply them so they can achieve their full potential, he said. 10 January 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Jan 22 pp10 News.indd 10 23/12/2021 12:27