Two of the UK’s best-known housebuilders are set to resume work on construction sites after closing in March amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Taylor Wimpey has announced a ‘phased return to construction’ that will see its UK sites outside Scotland reopen on May 4, while Vistry Group will restart work on about 90% of its partnership sites and a ‘significant number’ of its housing sites week commencing April 27.
The government has maintained construction sites can remain open throughout the lockdown, as long as workers are able to follow social distancing measures. However, some employees have previously argued it is practically impossible for them to abide by guidelines on crowded sites.
In a trading statement released today [April 23], Pete Redfern, chief executive of Taylor Wimpey, said the company would use “detailed new site operating protocols developed in compliance with strict social distancing requirements”.
He added that he is “confident” the company has ‘clear plans and processes in place” to keep formerly furloughed workers safe.
Pete continued: “Our first priority is always the health and safety of our customers, employees, sub-contractors and suppliers.
“We took an early decision at the end of March to close our sites, while we assessed in detail how to build homes without compromising on health and safety or quality. We are now confident that we have clear plans and processes in place so we can safely start back on-site in a phased way beginning on May 4.”
Tailor Wimpey has drawn up its own code of conduct, based on Site Operating Procedures (version three) issued by the Construction Leadership Council, and it will require subcontractors to sign-up to the new processes before they can return to sites from May 11.
Those tackling tasks where staying two metres apart is not possible will need to use bespoke face shields that attach to hard hats, which the housebuilder is manufacturing to its own design.
In a conference call with investors, Pete added that he expects the firm to peak at 80% of its normal capacity, only after every site has been through several weeks of staging work. He said the plan was to resume activity “in the right way, rather than how quickly we can get back.”
He said site management teams would spend the first week of May “preparing the site for the return to work of subcontractors” through tasks such as “changing layout of toilets, canteens, and traffic-management routes to make them wider [and] additional car parking to reduce the need for public transport,” as well as training themselves in the new processes the company has drawn up.
Meanwhile, Vistry Group, formerly known as Bovis Homes, will bring furloughed staff back to restart work on April 27.
Greg Fitzgerald, chief executive of Vistry Group, said: “I would like to thank all our colleagues and sub-contractors for their remarkable resilience and commitment during these times, and I’m pleased to announce that we will be recommencing activity levels across the majority of our developments on Monday April 27.
“Health and safety remains our top priority and a huge amount or work has gone into making sure our people can return to work with confidence in safe and well-planned operating procedures.
“This first step represents a positive move for the group, as well as the wider economy, and the critically important delivery of new homes.”
