Need to know

Materials resource efficiency might sound like a posh way of saying cut down on rubbish, but it’s an important topic, especially with waste management plans set to become mandatory next April (see CM November 07, p.59). To help those involved in regeneration projects on the matter, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has launched a new guide: The Efficient Use of Materials in Regeneration Projects in Construction. It integrates the ICE Demolition Protocol, Site Waste Management Plans, and the WRAP Recycled Content Quick Wins approach to offer a one-stop solution for improved materials efficiency in regeneration.

www.wrap.org.uk

Assess without stress

Safetyguru is a free online tool designed to help construction managers carry out comprehensive risk assessments without paying costly consultants. Specific assessments can be completed on the website ‘in minutes’, claims the company. And if the website doesn’t cover the sector you require, the developers say they will add the relative indicative content if you request it.

www.safetyguru.co.uk

Green guide on disc

Simple, informative guidance on the key environmental issues facing most construction projects is what the Construction Confederation’s (CC) environmental manual on CD-ROM promises. The Construction Environmental Manual aims to help contractors comply with legal duties and improve the way environmental issues are handled. A single copy is £125 and six-monthly updates are £25 each.

www.cip-books.com

Government climbdown on lofts

In a dramatic U-turn, the government is to revise the new Planning Reform Bill which will mean thousands of homeowners will be able to go ahead with loft conversions. The May 2007 Planning White Paper aimed to free up the planning system for householders wanting to carry out home improvements by increasing the scope of permitted development. But loft conversions were excluded, forcing many householders to obtain costly and time-consuming planning permission.

www.fmb.org.uk/saveourlofts

Think tank

According to British Water, much of the industry is unaware of the pitfalls of using septic tanks, resulting in pollution. It says treatment plants typically operate at 90% efficiency, while septic tanks, which rely on the suitability of downstream percolation in the ground, reach about 50% efficiency. When partially treated septic tank effluent enters the water table it pollutes groundwater. A flows and loads code of practice for sizing STPs is available free from the website below.

www.britishwater.co.uk