A Cornish company is spearheading a forthcoming ‘revolution’ that is set to hit the building industry.
From 2016 every UK new build will need to be fully carbon-neutral, a goal that’s only achieved in some 10% of builds today.
Helston-based Clayworks Ltd – formerly called Cob in Cornwall – is looking to exploit this huge market opportunity and has been busily developing a new zero-carbon clay-walling system, which uses clay blocks and plasters to eradicate any need for the use of cement, gypsum, plasterboard or paint.
Operations director James Bryce explained: “The building industry is facing big challenges to adapt, and our new system is at least part of the answer. So when we launched the prototype to architects, developers and self-builders at London’s Ecobuild exhibition in March, it was greeted with great enthusiasm and interest.”
And Bryce paid tribute to the help Clayworks has received from Business Link’s Convergence services.
He said: “Clearly, their most significant contribution has been the business planning and coaching help they have given us in successfully securing around £250k in funding.
“Their help has also been invaluable in helping us to make the most of our attendance at Ecobuild and supporting the legal activities required for setting up the new company structure.
“They have given us help in a number of ways, both by directly providing advice and guidance and also indirectly, through introductions to other useful organisations. Directly, they’ve helped us with marketing strategy and writing our environmental policy, as well as the funding support.
“Indirectly, they have introduced us to organisations like the Cornwall Development Company and South West Loan Funds, as well Grow Cornwall for coaching support. And it was at a Business Link-sponsored strategy seminar that we met up with Combined Universities in Cornwall, with whom we are now working to identify two or three graduates to join us this year, with a plan to have up to 20 staff within five years.”
