SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Arcus Global has launched a software module to help councils administer the Building Safety Levy. Ten local authorities are already using it ahead of the levy’s introduction in October.

The levy is expected to raise about GBP £3.4 billion and will apply to certain new residential developments in England. Councils will have to calculate, collect and report the charge on behalf of central government, with the first national returns due in January 2027.

This adds another statutory task for planning and building control teams already managing a series of regulatory changes. The levy is intended to help fund repairs to building safety defects identified after the Grenfell Tower fire and examined in the Hackitt review.

Arcus developed the module in line with guidance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, with input from Local Authority Building Control and its user community. The product is available for immediate deployment by councils.

The software creates a levy record from a building control application and calculates the amount due based on the size of a development and local charging rates. It also applies discounts, including the 50% reduction for building on brownfield land, and prepares figures for submission to central government in the required format.

Accurate collection matters because local authorities must administer the levy without adding unnecessary manual work for staff. The module is designed to reduce re-keying and calculation before councils submit returns.

Administrative pressure

For councils, the challenge is not only complying with a new levy but doing so within a short timeframe. The October deadline for recording the charge comes before the first reporting deadline in January 2027, leaving authorities limited time to adapt systems and train staff.

The ten authorities now implementing the module have funded the work through Building Safety Levy burden funding. This suggests a wider effort across local government to use earmarked support to prepare for the scheme before the statutory deadlines take effect.

Arcus already supplies software to more than 60 local authorities across the UK. Its wider product range covers planning, building control, land charges, finance and regulatory services.

Because the Building Safety Levy tool sits within Arcus’s existing platform, councils already using its systems may find it easier to introduce than a separate product. This should limit disruption to current teams and workflows.

Supplier response

The levy’s arrival is also a test of how quickly technology suppliers can respond to policy changes in local government. New statutory obligations often require councils to change back-office systems at pace, particularly when reporting formats and charging rules are set nationally.

Denis Kaminskiy, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Arcus Global, outlined the company’s view of the pressure facing local authorities.

“Councils are being handed a brand-new statutory duty on a punishing timescale. We chose not to wait. Working with MHCLG and the building control community, we had a working solution ready months before the deadline, not bolted together at the last minute.

“Policy is changing faster than ever, and suppliers have a responsibility to keep pace and take pressure off local government, not add to it. We are proud to be among the first ready with a full solution, and prouder still that councils are already meeting their obligations ahead of the curve,” said Kaminskiy.

The Building Safety Levy reflects a broader shift in the relationship between central government policy and council operations. Local authorities are increasingly expected to administer complex national schemes while maintaining day-to-day planning and regulatory services.

For software suppliers, that creates a market for tools that can be added quickly to existing council systems. For councils, the decision is likely to depend on whether they can adapt current processes in time for October without increasing the burden on stretched planning and building control staff.

Ten authorities have already moved to put a system in place before the new charge takes effect.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Dynisma has completed the installation of its DMG-1 driving simulator for the McLaren Hypercar Team at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. The simulator will support development of McLaren’s MCL-HY Hypercar programme.

The agreement gives the McLaren Hypercar Team a dedicated Driver-in-the-Loop simulator as it prepares to enter the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class and return to top-level endurance racing at Le Mans.

The DMG-1 is now supporting the team’s development work from McLaren’s base, where engineers and drivers are using the system for vehicle development, driver preparation and engineering evaluation.

McLaren’s Hypercar effort centres on the MCL-HY, the car it plans to race in the championship’s premier category. The programme marks the group’s return to endurance racing’s top class after a long absence.

Development tool

Simulation is now a standard part of modern motorsport programmes, allowing teams to test set-ups, assess vehicle behaviour and prepare drivers before track running begins. For endurance racing teams, that work is especially important because of the complexity of car set-up, tyre management and multi-driver preparation across long-distance events.

Bristol-based Dynisma makes full-motion driving simulators for motorsport teams and carmakers. The company was founded in 2017 by Ash Warne, a former Formula 1 driving simulation engineer who previously led simulator development at Ferrari and McLaren’s Formula 1 team.

The business has grown to more than 180 staff at a technology and manufacturing campus in Bristol. Its customers include teams and manufacturers across Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, the World Endurance Championship, IMSA and Formula E, as well as automotive manufacturers.

For McLaren, the installation adds a core engineering tool as it builds a new works-style programme around the MCL-HY. The car is designed by McLaren, built by Dallara and will be operated with United Autosports.

James Barclay, Team Principal of the McLaren Hypercar Team, outlined how the team expects to use the new system ahead of track activity.

“As we continue developing our Hypercar programme, access to a dedicated Driver-in-the-Loop simulator with the capability and fidelity of Dynisma is an important asset for our engineering and driver groups. High-quality simulation allows us to accelerate learning, evaluate development directions efficiently and maximise preparation for our on-track testing programme. The correlation delivered by the system will provide valuable confidence in the work that the team will do in testing and racing,” Barclay said.

Driver input

Teams rely on simulator sessions not only to model vehicle changes but also to gather driver feedback in a controlled environment. This helps engineers compare data with driver impressions before committing time and budget to circuit testing.

Mikkel Jensen, one of the drivers involved in the programme, said simulator realism matters because it affects how quickly drivers and engineers can move from familiarisation to useful development work.

“Simulator work is a key part of modern endurance racing programmes and having a platform that provides immediate, natural feedback makes a big difference. The realism of the motion cues and vehicle response allows us to focus on genuine vehicle development rather than adapting to the simulator itself. It gives drivers and engineers a highly effective environment to prepare and make progress before arriving at the circuit,” Jensen said.

For Dynisma, the McLaren deal adds another top-tier motorsport customer in a market where teams are placing more emphasis on detailed simulation and data correlation. Motorsport organisations are increasing spending on tools that can reduce the need for physical testing while improving preparation for race weekends and long-distance events.

Graeme Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Dynisma, linked that demand to rising expectations from teams and manufacturers.

“Dynisma is proud to support McLaren Hypercar Team as the team develops its FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar programme. High-fidelity simulation is now fundamental to modern motorsport, with teams demanding ever greater levels of realism and correlation from their simulator environments. The DMG-1 has established itself as a trusted platform across top-level motorsport, and we look forward to seeing the team benefit from its capabilities throughout the development of the programme,” Cook said.

McLaren Racing remains the only team to have completed motorsport’s Triple Crown through wins at the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Botley Road was closed at the rail bridge in April 2023 and is expected to reopen on August 31 following repeated delays – initially the road was only expected to be shut for `12 months.

Roadworks have been taking place in Botley Road as part of a major Network Rail scheme to revamp Oxford station – so far construction work has cost an estimated £237m.

READ MORE: Countdown to Botley Road reopening

A new rail bridge was lowered into place in February and a new southern walkway opened on Friday – replacing a temporary walkway on the other side of the road.

Network Rail insiders have indicated there could be an announcement this week about the future of the project to upgrade the station, which includes plans to create a new western entrance which are not yet fully funded.

The new walkway has been welcomed by traders in Frideswide Square as its entrance is nearby and they now expect footfall to their businesses to increase.

The new walkway in Botley Road (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Chris Nash, senior sponsor for Network Rail, said: “The opening of this new walkway is an important step forward for people travelling to and from Oxford station.

“Once the project is completed, there will be two new, wider walkways/cycleways, providing safer and more convenient routes for pedestrians, cyclists and scooter users.

“We know the Botley Road closure has had a significant impact on local residents, businesses and passengers, and we’d like to thank everyone for their continued patience while we complete this complex programme of work.

“With the project now nearing completion, we’re focused on delivering the final stages of work that will improve access through the area, support future rail services and create a better experience for everyone travelling through Oxford.”

Amanda Suliman-Bell of Rainbow & Spoon boutique (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Amanda Suliman-Bell, who runs Rainbow & Spoon boutique in Frideswide Square is among businesses welcoming the new walkway.

The new northern walkway on the station side of Botley Road is expected to open later this year.

Businesses and residents have suffered more than three and a half years of misery as a result of the road closure.

One community campaigner, Julian Le Vay, who lives off Botley Road, has estimated that the loss to businesses in the area could amount to as much as £50m.

The new walkway in Botley Road (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Labour city councillor Susanna Pressel said earlier: “There are a lot of people who are counting down the days until Botley Road reopens – local residents, local businesses, people who live out to the west – and countless other people whose lives have been disrupted by this endless project.”

Residents are looking forward the reopening of the Botley Road at the end of next month.

One said: “I am so physically and emotionally tired of getting off one bus, walking to St Aldates and catching another bus to work.”

Another added: “The thought of not having to cross five additional roads when walking after getting off a bus and also not getting stuck behind slow walkers because I’m no longer kettled in by barriers is making me giddy.”