In something of a strange turn of events the construction industry is standing (mainly) in defiance of the coalitions cutting of red tape.
Technically, the Construction Site Waste Management Plan Regulations (2008), have no longer been in force since October 1st 2013. But the majority of major construction companies, 55 of them in total, have said that they will continue to use the plans in spite of this repeal.
It makes interesting reading to see that of the 169 respondents to the consultation the split was equal between those supporting and opposed to the repeal with 82 in each camp. There seems to be a split between those who feel that the repeal was a positive move for contractors and those who felt this was a backwards step and did not represent best practice for the industry.
ONe complication is that the plans are still required for projects aiming for certain BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) and the Code for Sustainable Homes ratings. The UK Contractors Group (UKCG) also indicated they would still use the plans on their sites representing the majority of major sites in the UK.
The government countered that its calculations estimated a saving of £3.9m per year from the move but it should be noted that this calculation made no mention of any money saved through application of the waste management plans – something which could be a sum many times this amount.
So all in all a confused message which seems both at odds with the governments committment to green issues and its attempts to reduce the overall burden on business when you account for such a small return across the whole of the UK construction industry.
So is this move something of a white elephant? Yes, we think so.
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