MEMBER News
London Director Tom Peardon
LONDON
Meet Tom Peardon, FMB London Director
What is the FMB doing to help mitigate those concerns?
What are you working on in your region right now?
ULEZ expansion and charges to use the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels is a pressing issue for London members. With new housing targets and a need to retrofit ageing housing stock in London to meet green targets there is a danger of discouraging SMEs from working within the London market. The skills shortage is a big issue, including making sure college leavers arrive on site with the right skills to hit the ground running. Save the National AGM date This year’s National Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held virtually on Monday 29 September 2025 at 11am. The FMB is committed to providing you with the means to vote and to ask questions before the AGM so further details will follow in the next edition of Master Builder . Any motions on general policy matters submitted from UK area boards should be emailed
Regarding transport costs, the FMB has met with Transport for London on ULEZ and will push for further support for our industry. On skills we are creating dialogue between colleges and members to ensure apprentices have the relevant skills when they arrive on site. Our Shooter’s Hill project – funded by the Construction Industry Training Board – is part of this drive to upskill. FMB London Board members are also visiting schools and colleges to entice the next generation into the industry. Getting to know you Cheese or chocolate? Cheese. Dog or cat? Dog. First car owned? TBC. Learning to drive this year. Favourite film? Bladerunner. Blew me away when I saw it as a kid. I was lucky to see it at a cinema recently – as it was meant to be seen. Favourite holiday spot? I went to Sri Lanka a few years ago and would love to go back to see the places we couldn’t visit the first time around. Have you been a client of an FMB member? Not yet.
I’ve just joined the FMB so first and foremost I’m visiting members on site. We had the FMB London Master Builder Awards at the end of April – thank you to all those who entered and congratulations to the winners. I’m also working on a pilot skills programme with Shooters Hill Sixth Form College. On a scale of 1-10, how optimistic are you about the immediate future of the UK’s construction industry? Seven. Please could you explain your reasoning for your answer above? Housing initiatives by the government sound positive for the industry although funding for skills is needed. Much of my confidence comes from seeing the industry’s resilience, as it copes with recessions and pandemics. As an industry we always adapt, and the FMB is here to support members through any challenges. Based on your knowledge of your region’s members, what is their most pressing concern at the moment? Transport costs, including the recent
to alisonking@fmb.org.uk by Friday 22 August 2025.
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Master Builder
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