FMB members and Scotland’s Housing Minister take a tour of the Tarmac plant in Dunbar, East Lothian
MEMBER NEWS
CYMRU
CONTACT Ifan Glyn, FMB Director of Regions & Home Nations/Wales Director | Email: ifanglyn@fmb.org.uk | Call: 07769 687 227 Alison Hughes, Business Development Executive | Email: alisonhughes@fmb.org.uk | Call: 01443 843 668 competitors based outside the area, FMB members are better placed to deliver on wider community benefits than on price alone. Steps that take us away from the culture of “lowest price wins” and strives for better and wider outcomes is a development that we welcome. larger outfits because they are often entrenched within the communities that they serve. They employ locally, purchase goods and services locally, and spend their profits locally. When competing against larger This “race to the bottom” culture does nothing to support the viability of local SMEs. We were consulted by the Welsh Government on the development of this legislation, and we are confident it will enable members to win more and bigger public contracts. Smaller companies have an edge over Public procurement legislation is now in force The Social Partnership and Procurement Act is now law, and legally requires public bodies in Wales to provide evidence of the wider benefits they deliver through their contracts. Requiring public sector contracts to deliver community benefits is nothing new, but placing a legal obligation on organisations, such as Local Authorities, is a step change. FMB Cymru has long argued that there’s a disconnect between government policy and what is being delivered on the ground. As a result, commitments are made in tenders and often left undelivered, with the lowest price winning a disproportionate number and value of contracts.
SCOTLAND Members tour Scottish cement plant Thanks go to member Steven Dalgleish of The Edinburgh Bathrooms & Kitchens Company who contacted Tarmac to set up a guided tour of the plant for FMB members on Friday 19 May. We were joined by the local MSP and Scotland’s Housing Minister Paul McLennan. On the day, we learned that the cement and concrete sectors are committed to going beyond Net Zero by 2050. They have a roadmap, produced by their trade association, the Mineral Products Association, in conjunction with its members, which sets out exactly what is needed to get there. Find out more about
the roadmap at tinyurl.com/MB-MPA As well as learning about Tarmac’s progress on ‘greening’ (as far as possible) the production of cement, the shared statistics were impressive: The tower above the furnace is 90 metres high; The plant’s energy bill is £3,000-£4,000 an hour; Over 300 contractors were on site for one month during their planned shut down for maintenance works in April; The furnace takes as many as 36 hours
to cool down before engineers can access it to service it and make repairs; and The plant produces in excess of 700,000 tonnes of cement a year.
You can read more about the tour of the plant at tinyurl.com/MB-Tarmac
SCOTLAND
Green Home Festival in Edinburgh The keenly anticipated Green Home Festival, which the FMB helped to plan, runs
Garden rooms and offices, 1pm, Thursday 17 August: Garden rooms and offices have become popular as homeowners change how they live and work. FMB member Garden Rooms and Glamping offers insight into making your man cave, home gym or work space low carbon and energy efficient. FMB Scotland’s Vice President Pam Wilson said: “Hats off to the FMB for getting stuck in to deliver this festival alongside other trade and professional associations. It’s great to have members presenting at the shows. If you can make it to Edinburgh this August, pop in to one of the shows.” All of the shows during the Green Home Festival are free to attend. Find out more at tinyurl.com/MB-greenfest
from 14-18 August as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The purpose is to deliver practical advice to the public and help Scotland become a net zero nation. FMB members will present: Ingredients for a greener kitchen, 11am, Monday 14 August: For those undertaking a kitchen replacement. FMB member James Alan Construction Ltd will be one of the presenters. Festival of fabric first, 11am, Thursday 17 August: Educating homeowners on the steps to take before embarking on a retrofit project to improve energy efficiency in their homes. FMB member HM Raitt & Sons Ltd will join an architect and retrofit coordinator.
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Master Builder
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