Chris Mole MP meets apprentice Adam Locke at SEHBAC factory

East Anglian home improvement company, SEHBAC, has been a major employer in Suffolk and Essex since the early 1970s and has recently embarked on a programme of positive youth employment by employing apprentices from the National Apprenticeship Service as part of SEHBAC’s 75-strong workforce.

To recognise SEHBAC ‘s contribution to the region, local MP Chris Mole visited SEHBAC’s show centre at Olympus Close, Ipswich on 19th February to meet two young apprentices where he called on more Suffolk businesses to use the apprenticeship scheme.

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Just a quick note to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year from all of us at SEHBAC!

We’re proud to announce that this Christmas SEHBAC’s charity will be Have a Heart.

Have a Heart is the charitable arm of Heart FM.

Through the fundraising support of it’s listeners and companies like SEHBAC, Have a Heart award grants to registered charities and voluntary groups working with children and young people in the local area.

Their primary focus is on local projects which address particular needs in our local community. Typically they support projects to support those who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage, abuse, neglect, homelessness, violence, crime or those who live with an illness or disability.

On the 5th, 6th, 12th and 13th of December we’re turning our show centres at Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford and Romford into Christmas Grottos.

Come along with the whole family - the children can visit Santa and get their photograph taken, and the adults can get into the festive spirit with a glass of mulled wine. There’ll be plenty of mince pies to go around too! We do hope that you’ll come down and join in the fun.

The event is completely free of course, but we will be collecting for the Have a Heart charity - it’s for a great cause and with your help we hope to really make a difference to the lives of children and young people in our local community.

Poor PVC-U - it seems people never tire of bashing it. Over the years various claims have been made about the environmental credentials of PVC-U.

However, perhaps the times they are a changin’ - as Martin Randall, the Chairman of Crystal Direct has created a new initiative to promote the benefits of PVC-U with his new fact sheet: The Truth about PVC-U - Facts & Fibs.

As a consumer it can be really hard to know what to believe, so this new fact sheet really is a great resource. It’s been compiled using a variety independent sources including - Reco Vinyl; Vinyl 2010; PVC Awareness; BPF; PVC Aware; Public Sector News Line; & Friends of the Earth.

The factsheet aims to debunk the myths (or indeed ‘fibs’) we are told about PVC-U and instead present the facts. Highlights include:

Fib: PVC-U Cannot be Recycled

Fact: PVC compounds are 100% recyclable, in fact PVC-U can be recycled over and over again. In 2007 the UK recycled more than 42,000 tonnes of used PVC-U windows and doors.

Fib: PVC-U is dangerous

Fact: Numerous independent studies have been undertaken by such bodies as the World Health Organisation and the European Union, which have repeatedly shown that the material is safe.

“Ministers have made clear that independent evidence such as that from Professor Rappe, the independent scientific advisor to the EU and World health Organisation, demonstrated that PVC is a safe material” - John Battle MP, former Minister of State for Science, Energy and Industry.

Fib: Manufacturing PVC-U harms the environment

Fact: A typical European PVC production plant would have to operate for 30,000 years to produce the same amount of dioxins released into the atmosphere during bonfire night!

“The balance of evidence suggests that there is no alternative material to PVC in it’s major product applications that has less overall effect on the environment.” - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

Fib: Alternative materials are just as good as PVC-U when it comes to energy-saving and durability.

Fact: PVC-U is far more thermally efficient than alternative materials and the PVC-U industry is at the forefront of the development of energy efficient window frames. In addition to this, the Building Research Establishment estimates that a typical PVC-U window will have a lifespan of 35 years.

Download the fact sheet in full here - it’s definitely an eye-opening read!

Back in March, European Finance Ministers voted to allow EU Member States to reduce the VAT rate to 5% on home maintenance and repairs. This marked a victory of sorts for the ‘Cut the VAT‘ coalition who have been campaigning to get the VAT rate for maintenance and repair work reduced to 5%.

At the time, Brian Berry (Director of External Affairs at the Federation of Master Builders) said:

“News that the UK Government now has the option to reduce VAT to five percent on home maintenance and repairs is very exciting as it cannot no longer blame Brussels for not being able to take action.

If the UK Government goes ahead and implements the VAT cut it could mean that many more small building firms will be able to stay in business.

The EU experiment where VAT has already been cut in parts of Europe already proves that a cut will increase Treasury revenue as well having many social benefits such as creating a greener, more energy efficient housing stock and tackling the growing issue of fuel poverty.”

On 20th May, the Federation of Small Businesses added their backing to the campaign following a survey of their members which revealed that 59% of the respondents reported a decrease in business, and 37% were concerned about their financial prospects in the future.

49% of respondents highlighted that the lack of demand in the private and public sector was negatively affecting their business.

As a result the FSB are now working with the FMB in order to campaign for VAT on home improvement to be lowered to 5%.

John Walker (National Policy Chairman for the FSB) said:

“Confidence in the smaller building projects around the country has dropped to a low, and people who were thinking of adding an extension to their home, renovating their bathroom or building a garage, should be given the incentive to go ahead. Lowering the VAT rate on home renovation projects will encourage people to spend their money and give a vital kick-start to the important, but currently beleaguered, construction industry. It will also help the Government to meet its carbon emission targets by encouraging green home renovations.

With more than 300,000 jobs in the sector under threat during the recession, and more than half of smaller construction firms and builders across the UK warning they will have to lay off staff in coming months, the construction industry needs support today.”

To find out more about the benefits of cutting VAT on Home Improvements why not visit the Cut the VAT website, and add your support to the campaign. The benefits of a reduced rate of VAT include:

1. Economic Benefits - increased employment, and a potential increase in actual tax take, as despite the VAT rate decrease, the number of projects undertaken should increase.
2. Reduce the number of rogue builders - many ‘cowboys’ flourish by evading VAT altogether thereby offering customers cheaper deals; a reduced rate of VAT would level the playing field and allow reputable traders to compete with their pricing.
3. Reduce the number of empty homes - surprisingly there are over 700,000 empty homes in England alone; but the cost of repairing them to make them fit for habitation is too high - a reduction in VAT would help alleviate this.  
4. Reduce the number of those living in substandard housing as people will be more readily able to afford repairs.
5. Protect the countryside - by making home repair and improvement work more affordable, it would encourage the use of existing structures rather than continuing the development of greenbelt land.
6. Stop the destruction of decent existing buildings - the difference between having to pay 17.5% VAT on building repair work and not having to pay any VAT on new buildings can lead to perfectly good existing structures being demolished and then rebuilt for tax reasons.
7. Increase the number of zero-carbon homes - The most cost-effective way of increasing the energy efficiency of buildings is when they undergo major renovation, however currently the VAT rates are heavily weighted in favour of demolition and new build as opposed to refurbishment - 0% VAT on new homes versus 17.5% on the renovation and repair of existing homes.
8. Help tackle fuel poverty - the number of people living in fuel poverty in this country has doubled since 2004. If the VAT was cut on energy efficient home improvements, more people would be able to afford to make these improvements, and save money on their heating bills.
9. Help preserve our national heritage - Britain’s national heritage is threatened by the VAT burden that repairs and maintenance work carries. Buildings of significant historical interest will continue to be lost to modern developments unless the costs of their maintenance can be reduced.
10. Allow disabled people to have essential renovations made to their homes - charging VAT on this building work can reduce the available grant by up to 17.5 per cent (reducing the current maximum grant of £30,000 to £24,750).

Image credit - Cut the VAT Coalition.