A country mansion that was once one of Britain’s most at risk Grade II* listed buildings is enjoying a new lease of life, thanks in part to Welsh Slate.

It is Bank Hall, in Bretherton, Lancashire, which was removed from the Buildings at Risk register in October following its renovation.

Cwt-y-Bugail Dark Blue Grey roofing slates from Welsh Slate have been used over 1,000m2 of roof at Bank Hall, which has been converted into luxury residential accommodation and exhibition spaces.

The Welsh slates were specified for the £5.6million renovation on a like-for-like basis by architect Miles Pearson as the existing Welsh slates had been on the roof, in diminishing courses (as was the build method of the time), since the building was remodelled in the early 1830s.

“We chose the slate in conjunction with the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s team, who oversaw the project and felt a historic supplier was far more suitable than an overseas import,” says Miles.

The five-year project has converted the Hall into 10 apartments and two houses. In addition, the central four-storey Prospect Tower, a regionally significant architectural feature, now houses educational and exhibition spaces that are open to the public for two days a week. The public also have access to the outer gardens and walled garden.

Specialist sub-contractor RL Lovatt took nine months to complete the re-roof. The company’s team used 1F bitumen underlay and custom lead boxes to cater for the resident bat population. All abutments used lead soakers / flashings with stainless steel valleys and land valleys and conservation roof windows.

Contracts manager Andy Wilson says: “This project was quite the challenge due to time scales, the weather and the overall complexity of a job of this magnitude. Working with true Welsh Slate made all the difference – they are more durable, look fantastic and overall are much better to work with [than imported slate].”

Lovatt was supplied with the Welsh Slate products by distributor UK Slate.

Andy Wilson added: “Neil Purcell from UK Slate was instrumental in picking the correct slates for the job as he went to multiple meetings on site in regards to this and dropped a lot of samples off for the architectural team. His expertise in this was incredibly helpful to both the site teams and to ourselves.”

Bank Hall had been vacant and decaying steadily since 1971. It was the first building to feature on BBC Two’s Restoration series on television. Its restoration, thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £2.2million, was delivered by Chorley Borough Council in partnership with the owners, Heritage Trust North West, and developers Urban Splash and Next Big Thing Developments, specialising in difficult conservation building projects in the North West of England.

Architect Miles Pearson says: “Chorley planning and conservation were very proactive and welcomed the project. It’s gratifying for all stakeholders to know we saved the building.”

The earliest identifiable phase of the present building dates from the early 17th Century, although the house was extensively remodelled in the early 1830s. It is an early example of 19th Century Jacobean style by George Webster, an architect in Kendal, for owner George Anthony Legh-Keck. The main entrance porch on the north side, a drawing room wing at the west end and extensive service accommodation were all added at that time.

The Lilford family inherited the Hall in 1860. Although they never fully occupied it, they maintained it until the late 19th Century, when they decided to rent it out. During the Second World War it was used by the military and then handed back to the Ilford estate and used by the estate managers until it became derelict.

In addition to the house, Bank Hall includes 15 acres of gardens, an orchard and a copse. The orchard and copse are to be built on as they are the site of an enabling development of 23 homes, construction of which is due to begin in January.

It is more than 35 years since Save Britain’s Heritage drew attention to the plight of Bank Hall in its buildings at risk publication Silent Mansions. The Bank Hall Action Group (now Friends of Bank Hall) was formed in response to that and has campaigned to save the Hall. There is more about the renovation of the Hall on the National Lottery Heritage Fund website.

The British designed and made Trolex Air XS Silica Monitor, which measures respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in the air in real time, has won two more awards, bringing this year's total to five.

Its latest honours come in the Most Innovative Instrument, Product or Digital Solution category of the Air Quality & Emissions Awards at the Air Quality & Emissions exhibition in Telford, Shropshire, and The Best Health & Safety Innovation Product in the Building Innovation Awards presented at The Point in Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.

Silica is the biggest respiratory health risk construction workers face after asbestos, which is why the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has extended its focus on inspections of companies where it is prevalent – which includes worktop fabricators (read more about the HSE campaign against RCS here).

It is estimated that 600,000 people are exposed to silica at work each year in the UK, most of them in the construction industry.

The Air XS Silica Monitor delivers real-time detection of potentially lethal respirable crystalline silica (RCS) particulates in airborne dust mixtures in factories and on-site. It can be moved easily to various locations where silica dust might be generated. It uses laser technology to differentiate the particular footprint of silica from other dust.

Requiring no complicated set-up and only five minutes of maintenance a month, the Air XS is easy-to-use and provides accurate readings with minimal training.

The units are not cheap at around £10,000, but they could save the NHS and wider economy billions in debilitated workers and the long-term care of silicosis sufferers, as well as helping to prevent the suffering of thousands of people. And many accept the principle that it should be the polluter who meets the cost of avoiding or clearing up the pollution.

The Air XS Silica Monitor displays the presence of RCS in the air by volume. It can be used to record the results and track changing concentrations over time, letting workers know if the amount of RCS in their workspace is increasing as they work and when it has risen to dangerous levels.

On winning the recent awards, Trolex Managing Director Steve Holland said: “2022 has been an important year for Trolex, bringing our ground-breaking Silica Monitor to market. A world first, in real-time respirable crystalline silica monitoring we are proud to have been recognised alongside our peers, including some of the most prestigious and well-respected companies within the health & safety industry across the UK.”

“Winning these awards is not just a win for our dedicated team at Trolex but for construction workers around the globe. It gives us a platform to raise awareness among employers about the extreme dangers of inhalation of silica dust particulates in airborne dust mixtures and the risk of silicosis while highlighting there is a cost-effective solution to increase worker safety.”

“Our objective is to save lives within hazardous working environments and the AIR XS Silica Monitor is doing just that – with the potential to save millions of lives, globally.”

Championing the Trolex Air XS Silica Monitor to the stone industry is Stone Industry Group (SiG). Anyone who would like to speak to Simon Bradbury at SiG about the Monitor can find his contact details on the SiG website at sig.ltd. There is also more about the Monitor on the Trolex website at trolex.com.

Guest presenter of the Natural Stone Awards in London's Leonardo Royal London Tower Bridge Hotel on 2 December is architect and television presenter Charlie Luxton.

Charlie is a champion of the environment and communicates his enthusiasm for sustainable architecture and eco-friendly design on his television appearances.

After achieving a first-class honours degree in Architecture at Oxford Brookes University and an MA at the Royal College of Art in London, he began his broadcasting career presenting Modern British Architects for Channel 5.

He has gone on to present Britain’s Hidden Heritage (BBC 1), Restored to Glory and Rebuilding The Past (BBC 2), Homes and Property (ITV), Supercommuters and World’s Weirdest Homes (Channel 4) and Build A New Life In The Country (Channel 5).

Charlie will be on stage at the Natural Stone Awards with sports presenter Jim Rosenthal, announcing the winners, with voiceover artist Alan Dedicoat behind the scenes describing the winning projects.

The Natural Stone Awards presentation lunch is a highlight of the stone industry calendar. It provides an opportunity for the professionals involved with the natural stone sector to celebrate the exemplary projects that win the Awards and the teams behind them.

Architects, interior designers, main contractors, clients, and natural stone companies will meet for the Awards lunch and to discover who are this year's winners.

If you would like to be there with your guests, there is still time to book your places. Just email awards@stonefed.org.uk and state how many seats you would like. For details, click here to download a booking form.

The Autumn Statement by Chancellor of the Exchequor Jeremy Hunt on 17 November concluded the unravelling of his predecessor’s business-friendly tax cuts of just eight weeks earlier (read more about that here).

Key tax announcements on 17 November include threshold and allowances measures, energy levy changes, changes to R&D tax reliefs, and reforms of business rates.

Threshold freezes and personal tax allowance measures

National Insurance contributions thresholds will be fixed at their current rates until April 2028. The government will legislate for the measure through secondary legislation early next year.

The National Insurance contributions secondary threshold will be fixed at £9,100 from April 2023 until April 2028. The Employment Allowance means the smallest employers will not be affected.

Energy Levies

Energy Profits Levy (EPL) – from 1 January 2023, the EPL rate will rise by 10 percentage points to 35% and will be extended to 31 March 2028. The investment allowance will be reduced to 29% for all investment expenditure (other than decarbonisation expenditure) broadly maintaining its existing cash value. Decarbonisation expenditure will continue to qualify for the current investment allowance rate of 80%. The government will legislate for these measures in the Autumn Finance Bill 2022, except the changes related to decarbonisation expenditure which will be legislated for in the Spring Finance Bill 2023.

Corporate Tax changes

Reforms to R&D tax relief for expenditure on or after 1 April 2023 mean the Research & Development Expenditure Credit rate will increase from 13% to 20%, the Small & Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) additional deduction will decrease from 130% to 86%, and the SME credit rate will decrease from 14.5% to 10%. The government is continuing to review R&D tax reliefs, which were launched in the Budget of 2021, and will consult on the design of a single scheme.

Other measures include:

• Company Car Tax (CCT) Rates – the government is setting rates for CCT until April 2028 to provide long term certainty for taxpayers and industry in Autumn Finance Bill 2022
• Van Benefit Charge and Car & Van Fuel Benefit Charges – from 6 April 2023, Car and Van Fuel Benefit Charges and Van Benefit Charge will increase in line with the September 2022 Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rate.
• A substantial package of reforms to business rates has also been announced and you can read the details on the government website here. 

Westminster Abbey is the 11th cathedral to become part of the Cathedrals' Workshop Fellowship (CWF), the organisation formed in 2006 to maintain the highest level of conservation skills at the cathedrals.

Westminster Abbey joins Canterbury, Chester, Durham, Exeter, Gloucester, Lincoln, Salisbury, Winchester, Worcester, and York.

CWF is a thriving partnership delivering high-quality, accredited training and education to the next generation of craftspeople to ensure they have the skills needed to care for the country's historic buildings for years to come.

A key part of the CWF programme is a Foundation degree in Applied Historic Building Conservation & Repair, which, to date, has produced more than 50 graduates.

Now, Westminster Abbey has joined this collaboration.

Built between the 13th and 16th centuries, it is an architectural masterpiece, famous for its Gothic façade and spectacular fan vaulting.

As is the case with all the CWF cathedrals, Westminster Abbey has its own onsite Works Department that cares for the building on a day-to-day basis. It is planned that a member of this team will join the next cohort on the CWF Foundation degree course.

The course is funded by the Hamish Ogston Foundation charity and with it students gain extensive knowledge of the practical care and conservation of historic buildings under the guidance of leading industry experts.

Paul Baumann CBE, Chapter Clerk and Receiver General of Westminster Abbey, says of joining CWF: "At the Abbey we have long been committed to sustaining the highest standards of craftsmanship in maintaining and developing our unique buildings. By joining the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship we are linking to a number of the country’s most significant Cathedrals, which share our belief in the importance of developing and maintaining these essential skills.

"We look forward to a fruitful partnership and to playing our part in nurturing crafts which are part of our shared inheritance and key to our future.’

Frances Cambrook, Executive Director of the CWF, commented: "We have had an informal association with Westminster Abbey for many years and we are delighted that they have now joined us formally to become our 11th member.

"We look forward to welcoming their first student to our Foundation degree course next year and supporting him or her to develop their craft skills and conservation expertise for the benefit of this magnificent abbey church."

Andy Bell, of machinery and equipment supplier Stone Equipment International, is withdrawing from his 10-year partnership with Emmedue from January 2023.

He says after 10 years representing Emmedue bridge saws in the UK and Ireland he feels it is time to withdraw from the sector.

Andy Says: “I feel I have done enough work to establish Emmedue in the UK as a brand of quality and reliability. I have sold dozens of Emmedue machines. I have had – and still have – a fantastic relationship with Christian Montanari (the Emmedue CEO) and the Emmedue family, which is an absolute priority for me along with our mutual clients here in the UK.

“There will be a smooth transition to a new dealer once Christian has appointed one. I am happy to offer any assistance to the new dealer to make sure Emmedue customers still get the best service possible.”

Christian Montanari told NSS: “I met with Andy last week to say goodbye in a positive way. We have worked together for more than 10 years, and they have been beautiful and intense years where a relationship of seriousness and professionalism has been built that goes beyond work. 

“I would like to thank Andy for helping Emmedue grow in the UK. Now is the time to dedicate time to new challenges. 

“We and Andy will do everything during this transition period in the best way in order to continue to give maximum support to all of our customers in the UK and Ireland. We absolutely want to continue supplying our machines to the UK – it's a good market for us – and we will quickly take a position on the future to find the best way of supporting our customers in the UK and Ireland.”

Andy will continue to sell Marmo Meccanica edge polishers, a company with which he also has a special relationship.

In December, the Stone Equipment International team (including Faye, Andy’s wife) is travelling to Ancona, where Marmo Meccanica is based, for more training to ensure Stone Equipment International continues to give the best support and service to the hundreds of Marmo Meccanica customers in the UK and Ireland.

Stone Equipment International has invested in a new, more informative website highlighting Marmo Meccanicas and showing all the optional extras offered on the company’s edge polishers.

Stone Equipment International will also be focusing on Elephant cranes and suction pads and Italian Top Class (ITC) bench saws. ITC is another company where Andy has a long-term (30-year) friendship with the main directors.

Andy will also continue to help stone companies sell their unwanted or part-exchanged machines. After 30 years of selling stone machinery he says he is the “go to guy with the knowledge and experience to gain the correct market value for used and unwanted machinery”.

He adds: “I am extremely well known and proactive in this market. We don’t just simply place our clients’ machinery on our website. With 30 years’ experience and many friends in the trade, we never fail to find a buyer.”

The new monarch, King Charles III, accompanied by The Queen Consort, has unveiled a statue of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, erected in a previously empty niche on the West Front of York Minster.

The statue had originally been intended to mark The Queen’s platinum jubilee this year, but has instead become a memorial to her following her death as Britain’s longest reigning monarch.

King Charles and Camilla were welcomed on arrival at the Minster by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, Acting Dean Canon Michael Smith and members of the Chapter.

After attending a short service in the Quire, the royal couple met York Minster stonemason Richard Bossons, who was in charge of the design and production of the new statue.

The statue was unveiled by the royal couple as they left the Minster through the Great West Door. The statue of the late Queen is in a niche adjacent to the door on the West Front of the 800 year-old cathedral.

The Archbishop of York blessed the statue, which is 2m tall and weighs nearly two tonnes. It is carved from a block of Lepine stone, a French limestone that has previously been used for figurative carvings at the Minster as well as the restoration of the West Window in 2000. 

Stonemason Richard Bossons is an expert architectural carver and stone mason who has been a member of York Minster’s renowned Stoneyard team since 2011.

His skill in conjunction with laser scanning and CNC cutting produced the sculpture. He first produced a clay maquette of The Queen that was scanned in three dimensions and the stone roughed out under the guidance and instruction of Richard, who oversaw every aspect of the process. Using the scanning and CNC technology is calculated to have saved more than four months' work. Abbey Masonry and Measurement Solutions both played their part.

Richard's design depicts the Sovereign in her Order of the Garter robes with her orb and sceptre, the symbols of her office as Head of Church and State, and wearing the George IV State Diadem.

Richard’s initial concept design was developed in close consultation with York’s Fabric Advisory Committee and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, which gave its permission for the principle of the statue under the Care of Cathedrals Measure, the legal framework against which all major changes to cathedral buildings are considered.

Richard said before he started carving the statue earlier this year: “There have been several challenges to overcome with this project in terms of the design. First and foremost I have to complement the magnificent medieval façade of the Minster. The statue needs to be part of the fabric, not a distraction from it, yet it also has to have the poise and presence befitting of the Queen’s unique role as Head of Church and State. The figure is posed to form a protective gesture around the orb and sceptre, while Her Majesty’s gaze is aligned across the proposed Queen Elizabeth Square, the principal approach to York Minster.”

Following the unveiling The King said: “When this statue was first planned five years ago, during a reign of unprecedented duration and achievement, it was intended as a celebration of the late Queen’s platinum jubilee. Now, as we have witnessed, with great sadness, the passing of that reign, it is unveiled in her memory, as a tribute to a life of extraordinary service and devotion.”

He said: “The symbolism of the statue, combining the signs of Church and of State, is perfectly suited to its place on the West Front of this glorious building.” 

The Health & Safety Executive's targeted health initiative on respirable crystalline silica dust in manufacturing businesses across England, Wales and Scotland is continuing. And it warns it will be prosecuting companies found wanting. 

The inspections started at the beginning of October, focussing on the risks to lungs of respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which is found in various concentrations in most stone, rocks, sand and clay, and in products such as engineered quartz and porcelain.

HSE inspectors are visiting manufacturing business where these materials are used. This includes stone companies – and HSE says it will particularly focus on those producing kitchen and bathroom worktops.

HSE inspections will check whether employers and employees know the risks involved when dealing with silica and ensure that control measures are in place to protect workers’ respiratory health.

Prolonged exposure to airborne particles of RCS can lead to life-changing respiratory conditions such as silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, warns HSE.

It reminds stone companies of its recently refreshed guidance on silica specifically for stone companies that can be downloaded here.

The HSE guidance for controlling exposure to stone dust (HSG201) has also been refreshed.

Silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer can all be caused by breathing in particles of silica of about five microns size. Over time, exposure to silica particles can harm a person's ability to breathe and cause irreversible, often fatal, lung disease.  

Employers have a legal duty to put in place suitable arrangements to manage health & safety and ensure they comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002.

Inspectors visiting companies will be looking for evidence that businesses have put in place effective measures, such as Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV), water suppression and, where appropriate, use of protective equipment such as respiratory protection (RPE) to reduce workers’ exposure to RCS.

If any health and safety breaches are discovered, HSE warns it will take enforcement action.

There is general information about silicosis, including a video, here. In the video, which you can also watch below, HSE’s Chief Medical Advisor, Professor David Fishwick, explains more about silicosis. 

And in case it has slipped your mind, 17 November is World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day.

COPD describes a number of breathing problems where there is damage to the breathing tubes and air sacs in the lungs, conditions which can be caused by exposure to RCS.

More information on COPD can be found on the HSE website – click here to see it.