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FMB NI leads call for Northern Ireland retrofit strategy
F or some time, the Federation of Master Builder (FMB) has been calling for a regional retrofit strategy in Northern Ireland. As time passes, the need to deliver such a strategy is becoming more and more obvious as energy costs continue to rise and targets to reduce carbon emissions loom. However, after many months of lobbying by the FMB and discussions with industry, the Federation is encouraged to see that Belfast City Council has endorsed the Belfast Retrofit Delivery Hub.
National Retrofit Strategy that was produced by the Construction Leadership Council, which the FMB is a member of. The Hub will meet quarterly, but separate groups will meet on a regular basis to review progress. The main aims of the Hub will be to: • Identify opportunities for retrofit across the city and bring together the partners who can realise those opportunities. • Identify and endorse the required standards of building performance that retrofit in Belfast needs to achieve. • Identify ways of supporting the economic activity, skills and jobs that achieving those standards require. • Draw together partners to source and release funding. • Promote a collaborative, solutions approach sharing knowledge across ownership and tenure. • Ensure engagement with stakeholders across the city, and to support and promote complementary initiatives. • Report on progress, initially to the Resilience and Sustainability Board. In doing so, the Hub’s goal will be to ensure that eight key interlocking
elements of the strategy are advanced together including: 1 Leadership and communications 2 Supporting learning and innovation culture focussed on just transition 3 Performance standards 4 Finance and grants 5 Training and accreditation 6 Materials and equipment 7 Creating customer demand 8 Compliance and quality regime HOW WILL THIS WORK BENEFIT FMB MEMBERS AND THE WIDER CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY? Through the FMB, members will have an opportunity to provide input and assist with the research and policy development as the Hub works through the key strategy elements outlined above. Ultimately the FMB would like to see these actions create a pipeline of work that is accessible to members and the wider construction supply chain. Gavin McGuire, FMB NI Director, said “We need to see policy makers and key Executive Departments provide leadership and support a change within society to value and upgrade our existing housing stock.”
WHAT IS THE BELFAST RETROFIT DELIVERY HUB?
The Hub brings together FMB Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), business leaders, key organisations and the Council to accelerate retrofit activity across the public and private housing sectors in Belfast. FMB NI Director Gavin McGuire will sit on the working group to provide input on behalf of FMB members. WHAT WILL THE GROUP SEEK TO ACHIEVE? The Hub’s work will be informed by the
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