AUDIO NEWS: Government outlines plan to help small builders and plumbers plan to stop hiring apprentices

Government lays out proposals to help small builders, a third of Scottish plumbing firms plan to stop hiring apprentices and a 20-year-old bricklayer wins at the World Darts Championship

The government proposed a raft of changes in parliament this week designed to help small and medium sized builders.

As part of a wider shake up to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) the government intends to introduce a ‘medium site’ category for developments of between 10-to-49 homes and possibly spare small builders from the Building Safety Levy.

Other changes outlined by housing minister Matthew Pennycook include default approvals for ‘suitable’ homes built around train stations and amendments to standards on energy efficiency and Biodiversity Net Gain with the aim of giving builders greater certainty.

---

A third of plumbing firms in Scotland plan to stop hiring apprentices — that’s according to research from the Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF).

In the trade body’s latest survey, two thirds of firms said limited funding made apprenticeship recruitment unaffordable, and 47% complained about the cost of workplace supervision.

Over three quarters of respondents described the current level of support from the Scottish government as poor or inadequate.

---

20-year-old bricklayer Charlie Manby was given the day off by his boss after his spectacular debut at the World Darts Championship this week.

Manby stunned the crowds at the Alexandra Palace, beating former plumber Cameron Menzies, 3-2.

Manby told the Sun his victory was “100%, hands down, the greatest thing” he’d ever done in darts.

---

To listen to the construction news, please click below