Coronavirus Update

Statement - 23rd April 2020

As a family business, we understand the importance of ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of all of our staff, their families and friends, and the wider public. For that reason, on Monday 23 March, we took the decision to suspend construction operations on all of our projects due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since then, the government confirmed that construction sites should return to work if they are able to safely comply with the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures. These procedures, which reflect Public Health England guidance, provide sector-specific guidance for construction sites to operate whilst protecting the workforce and the public, and minimising the risk of spread of infection.

We have undertaken a robust review of our current work practices to understand if and how each site could operate in line with these Standard Operating Procedures. As part of this assessment, we have also reviewed how people can safely travel to and from work and whether we can put in place additional protection strategies above and beyond the guidelines.

Following these reviews, we have taken the decision to start a managed return to work on some of our sites, albeit in a reduced capacity, from Monday 27th April 2020.

The health and wellbeing of all our staff and operatives has been – and will remain – at the forefront of all our business decisions. Nobody asked to return to work will be personally exposed to unnecessary risk.

While we believe that these measures represent a step in the right direction, we won’t hesitate to take further action to protect the health and welfare of our staff and communities if these interventions and new ways of working prove to be unsafe, impractical or conflict with government guidelines.