The year ends pretty much as it started; we are back working under the same rules and safety measures. We are reducing office presence to protect our staff, we have reviewed our site practices and we are working in accordance with current guidance. Even though most of our staff are double vaccinated and some have boosters, we have still had a member of the senior management team contract COVID. The report back is that it’s very unpleasant so cautious planning and preparation remain our focus.

It’s not all Humbug, however. We end the year in a good position with a number of great projects in the pipeline and an order book value of circa £3.5m. To deal with this we have a new Construction Team, overseen by Darren Whenham and headed up by Karl Whyte. (Karl was on a temporary contract and is now permanent.) We hope to see 2 new General Foreman joining us, one being Mike Wilson who will also be our carpentry apprentice mentor. In addition we are currently recruiting a new bricklaying apprentice and a Quantity Surveyor to add to our commercial team. So some good news at the end of a very trying year.

Looking forward to 2022 the matter of most concern is the Building Safety Bill. We have already seen changes in materials and construction methods and expect to see the full effects when this Bill becomes law. Corniche have now introduced various process maps to demonstrate our competence and commitment to this. We signed up to the RICS Conflict Avoidance Pledge some time ago and we have now signed up to the CIOB Diversity and Inclusion Charter because we believe our industry could be fairer and more open for everyone. We are also noticing that tenders have a far greater emphasis on quality rather than price, something we have always advocated.

Finally, we want to wish everyone who has taken the time to read this a very Happy Christmas and prosperous, safe 2022.