he government must respond positively to the National Planning Policy Framework if the house building industry is to improve in 2012.

This is according to director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders Brian Berry, who claimed it could be some time until the UK starts to feel the positive effects of the initiative.

He explained that the coalition is due to respond to planning proposals in March, although it could take until the second half of the year for the economy to see any improvement as a result of this.

“Definitely with the first six months, we are not very optimistic – and that depends on the government sticking to the original proposals,” Mr Berry continued.

The expert added that the current difficulties many people face when trying to obtain a mortgage means confidence in the housing market is at a low.

At the beginning of the month, the Construction Products Association predicted workload within the construction sector will decline by around five per cent in 2012, with a recovery not expected until 2014.

Between 2010 and 2011, the highest number of deaths related to the building industry were in the Midlands, North-West, Yorkshire, London and Eastern England.

This is according to research from the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (Ucatt), which revealed there were 50 fatal occurrences in the sector during this timeframe, which equates to a 22 per cent increase on the 12 months beforehand.

Eight people died when they were hit by a moving vehicle, while mobile or falling objects killed six individuals.

In addition, 13 workers passed on after a fall from height, which has commonly been a cause of death in the sector, while 13 employees were killed due to collapses, which was more infrequent in the past.

Construction has the greatest number of workplace deaths amongst all British industries, but the growth in fatalities is concerning as activity in the sector was dampened during the timeframe, Ucatt noted.

The organisation is the largest union in this industry and represents employees throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Parts of Oxford Street were closed to traffic last weekend amid fears that Christmas shoppers could be crushed on pavements that have been narrowed due to building work near Bond Street London Underground station.

Major building work is taking place near the station as part of its major redevelopment and the ongoing work has narrowed the pavements in the surrounding areas.

Fearing a Christmas crush, Westminster City Council transport commissioner Martin Low said the decision was made by the council to apply for a traffic management order in consultation with the Metropolitan Police.

The area from Oxford Circus to Portman Street was closed for eight hours on Saturday and the same stretch of road was closed on Sunday too.

It is unlikely to be a one-off either. As Christmas draws nearer and the roads get busier, similar closures could happen on future weekends and possibly even weekdays.

Commenting on closure, Low said: “This was a pre-emptive decision in response to concerns about possible crushing on the pavements as a result of narrower walkways, which are being caused by ongoing construction works.

“The council is hopeful that a redesign of the building site will be possible going forward, but cannot rule out further weekend traffic closures at this stage.

“Our paramount concern is to ensure the safety of pedestrians during this busy weekend of Christmas shopping in Oxford Street.”

Similar work is ongoing on the other end of Oxford Street near the Tottenham Court Road Tube station.

New Crossrail stations are being built along the central route of the line at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and Canary Wharf.

Camden Council’s carbon footprint was cut by an impressive nine per cent last year putting it at the forefront of a national campaign to reduce carbon emissions. The Council joined hundreds of organisations and leading public figures in pledging support for the 10:10 campaign against climate change in September 2009.

Becoming part of the 10:10 scheme meant Camden committed itself to strive to cut its carbon footprint by 10 per cent during 2010/11.

New figures show that in 2010/11 the Council reduced its emissions by nine per cent. This means it is a leading borough under the 10:10 Campaign by exceeding the average seven per cent reduction reported by local authorities nationally.

Cllr Sean Birch, Camden Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Transport, said: “We’re proud to be one of the leading local authorities involved in this important stand against climate change. Ten per cent was a very tough target but we were determined to do all we could and to show the way for other organisations in Camden.”

10:10 Executive Director Angela Bryant said: As an organisation that calls Camden home, 10:10 is very aware of how much the council is doing, not just to bring down their own carbon footprint but also to encourage the local community to act similarly. Camden Council was the first London borough to report their result and a 9% carbon saving in a year is terrific, particularly for an organisation that’s been working on this for a while. 10:10, along with everyone else in the borough we’re sure, is excited to see where the council will go next!”

Camden Council has been taking pioneering action to cut its share of carbon emissions and has set itself a series of challenging carbon reduction targets, 21% by March 2015 and 40% by March 2020.

Checking roofing tiles for damage is one precautionary measure homeowners should take to ensure their property is in good condition prior to the Christmas season.

Editor of Build It magazine Anna-Marie DeSouza explained many potential problems should be addressed ahead of the festive period and advised people to replace any roof tiles that are found to be broken.

Gutters should also be cleared of debris such as leaves of moss to reduce the risk of any blockages occurring, she suggested, adding exterior window sills ought to also be examined and repaired or replaced if found to be rotten.

Having the chimney checked and cleaned by a professional sweep is important for those who own a property featuring an open fire, Ms DeSouza concluded.

Following these precautionary measures may help prevent homeowners from having to make a claim on their home insurance, something that, according to research from M&S Money, has become more commonplace in recent years.

The data revealed a 200 per cent increase over the last three years in the number of claims submitted relating to damage caused by winter weather.

CITB-ConstructionSkills and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) are working together to help the construction industry prepare for – and win work from – the low carbon agenda. The collaboration comes as industry waits for greater clarity on the opportunities to be created by the launch of the Green Deal next year.

The organisations are taking action together so that CITB-ConstructionSkills’Cut the Carbon campaign and the CIOB’s Carbon Action 2050 offer the greatest benefits for industry. Together, they are working to help the industry keep up to date with the low carbon construction news and policy, and to help businesses to make the most of the opportunities that are presented.

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There was a 12.8 per cent rise in the value of all new construction orders over the third quarter of 2011 when compared with the three months preceding it, data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed.

Private commercial requests represented the largest contribution to this increase, asking for 21.4 per cent more work than in the second quarter during this timeframe.

However, this still represents a 5.5 per cent fall when compared with the same period 12 months earlier, the government body pointed out.

Construction Products Association chief executive Michael Ankers claimed the figures are the worst seen for this quarter since 1980.

He noted private sector investments have generally been made in the south-east and London, which were not “strong enough to compensate for the sharp decline in orders” from public bodies.

Building requests relating to education, social housing and health have experienced the worst declines, the expert stated

“The industry needs to brace itself for an even sharper fall in output in 2012 than that already anticipated,” Mr Ankers said.