Now that the UK seems to be over the curve, things have become clearer on the opening up of the economy and whilst the construction sector has been seen to be a key industry, some sections of the industry have remain closed such as suppliers, builders merchants, quarries and house builders.
Some companies have continued to work and our engineers and surveyors have been advising clients on safe distancing, assessing the risk, Government advice and monitoring sites for safety until full production resumes.
It seems that the economy, where the workforce is outside, such as quarrying, construction and waste management, is opening up and that includes site investigation, site inspections, environmental audits, ecological surveys, drilling and geotechnical assessments.
Compliance with Government guidance
Our business will still comply with Government guidance, discussed in our earlier news items, but we will be ready to advise clients and customers on opening up or ramping up productivity from the 4th May so the economy can bounce back.
We have been maintaining work load on planning applications, land surveys and geotechnical inspections, because our engineers and surveyors have been able to self distance, work away from each other on site and maintain a safe distance from other workers and the public.
Let us help you
If we can assist clients or new customers on an existing or new project, then please contact us and we will contact you to discuss the best way of discussing the project in detail, whether by Skype, Zoom, MS Teams, email, phone, or on site meeting (suitably distanced of course).
Planning permissions
We have managed to obtain two planning permissions for minerals working over the last eight weeks and progressed three other planning applications for minerals extraction and restoration with inert material to a point where they can be submitted this month.
Buoyancy in the construction sector
The construction sector seems buoyant in the region, as we have been receiving instruction for desk top coal mining risk assessments and phase 1 desk top reports. We have also received instruction for 3 phase 2 site investigations for May, so there is some confidence about.
Government help
Our company, like many others, is grateful to the Government and especially the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for the unprecedented support for workers and companies to maintain teams and trained staff over the period of time until there is some semblance of normal day to day work and we are sure UK PLC will be rewarded with a bounce back by the bold decisions taken. Comparison with the USA comes to mind and we think about our fellow engineers and surveyors who we have worked with in the past, who are resident there, and the unemployment caused by the handling of the pandemic.
Thanks to all those who have helped
We wish to salute the key workers who have maintained the country over the past 8 weeks who normally are not lauded for their efforts, but when it comes down to it are KEY Workers, as we cannot function without them. It goes without saying, we have wonderful workers; the NHS, the care workers and the social workers, who are on the front line so to speak, but also the Council workers who have coordinated the response to social isolation, help for businesses and advice centres, and maintained services such as refuse collection; the retail food trade from the supermarket restocking staff to the independent butchers, bakers and grocers, who have maintained a service second to none; the transport workers who have kept the key workers moving; and finally the people of the United Kingdom who have queued, behaved themselves and generally made the best of the lock down by exercising and listening to the bird song.
A time for reflection
It is a time for reflection as spring begins to bloom and we can look forward to a long warm period of the year. We should not go back to how it was – we should have time for each other, not attend work as much, produce more and enjoy the wonderful world of the outdoors this summer.