Contractor Clegg Construction has held a topping out ceremony at an 11-storey apartment complex being built for property developer Rise Homes in Leeds. Spinners Yard is a 185-apartment, U-shaped, build-to-rent scheme in Regent Street in the Mabgate area of Leeds City Centre. It is the second build-to-rent project Clegg Construction
The final part of almost £100 million-worth of development projects is now open to the University of Plymouth’s students, staff and visitors. Weighing in at £63 million, the revamped and dramatically extended Babbage Building is now home to the engineers and designers of tomorrow. And the next phase of the
Last week, housebuilding SMEs were invited to a Future Homes Hub (FHH) event, hosted by leading housebuilder Redrow, at its Stone Hill Meadow development. Leaders from across the industry gathered at the site, which was the first to launch since Redrow committed to install Air Source Heat Pumps across all
Hundreds more households will soon enjoy more affordable, reliable, and lower carbon heating with three tower blocks set to become the latest to connect to the city’s flagship Leeds PIPES district heating network. 259 council properties in Lovell Park Heights, Lovell Park Grange, and Lovell Park Towers will be set
Anglo American and STRABAG UK are delighted to announce that the tunnel at the Woodsmith project near Whitby, in the north-east of England, recently reached 25.8km in length. This breaks the current record for the world’s longest single tunnel boring machine drive. STRABAG UK is working on behalf of Anglo
CICV calls for urgent reform as the sector struggles with payment delays and financial strain. Despite government and industry past efforts to address financial challenges in the Scottish construction sector, the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) has found construction businesses continue to struggle with late payments, payment reductions, and unresolved
Brothers Sandy and James Easdale, joint owners of the Easdale Investment Group have now acquired a further industrial unit in Renfrew. Previously owned by Peel Waters Limited, the property development arm of Peel Group, the site at Meadowside Street in Renfrew is located as part of the Neil Street Industrial
Relocating to the idyllic Devonshire countryside, to a small rural village surrounded by spectacular views is a dream for many. For John Greatwood and his family, it’s now reality. John and his wife Phillipa lived and worked in Carshalton in South London with their four-year-old twins, Finley and Imogen. When
Renowned Northampton construction consultancy Bhangals Construction Consultants has celebrated its recent expansion and office move by making two dedicated members of staff directors of the business. Former operations manager Katie Newman is now Associate Operations Director and Harrison Baxter, who was previously estimating manager at the firm, has been named
The latest research from eXp UK, the platform for personal estate agents, has revealed which famous TV faces would struggle to make it in today’s property market when taking into account both the pay they take home and the cost of homeownership in their respective areas. eXp UK looked at
Contractor Clegg Construction has held a topping out ceremony at an 11-storey apartment complex being built for property developer Rise Homes in Leeds. Spinners Yard is a 185-apartment, U-shaped, build-to-rent scheme in Regent Street in the Mabgate area of Leeds City Centre. It is the second build-to-rent project Clegg Construction has undertaken in partnership with Rise Homes and follows the recent completion of The Ironworks – a £28.7m, 11-storey apartment development in Sheffield. Featuring a mix of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, Spinners Yard is due to be completed in 2025. Clegg Construction operations director, Darren Chapman, said: “We are very pleased to have reached the key topping out stage for this development. This will allow us to continue adding the external walls and glazing up the building, followed by the internal fit-out. “Spinners Yard is regenerating brownfield land and will breathe new life into the area, providing a desirable residential development with a range of properties to rent.” The ground floor of Spinners Yard will incorporate a plant room, enclosed parking for cars, motor bikes and cycles to one half with the other containing the entrance lobby and reception, the centre management office, a lounge, break out and work spaces, and a gym. Two staircases/lift areas provide access to upper residential floors. The first floor will incorporate a residents’ garden space with another spacious roof garden on the tenth floor. Once completed, the development will feed into the Leeds PIPES District Heat Network. Nigel Rawlings, CEO of Rise Homes, added: “We are delighted with Clegg’s progress at Spinner’s Yard and we are very much looking forward to the completion of this sustainable development linked to the Leeds City energy from waste plant offering high-quality, spacious apartments at both affordable and market rents featuring many other environmental benefits.” During construction work on the Spinners Yard site, Clegg Construction has been hosting groups of Leeds College of Building Trade and Management students, aged 16 to 19, to provide them with valuable insight into the sector. The students have also been visiting the site next door, where Clegg Construction is building The Fabric Works, a 402-bed student accommodation scheme. In addition, Clegg Construction is sponsoring a local Army Reserve (formerly the Territorial Army) squadron in Leeds by providing T-shirts worn as part of the uniform and during physical training, and is currently collecting food, toiletries and other items for the Blessed of the Father Food Bank, part of Leeds Food Aid Network, at its Spinners Yard and The Fabric Works sites. The company is very familiar with Leeds, having delivered the external recladding of the Premier Inn Leeds City Centre Arena hotel in 2021, the replacement of flammable cladding on the high-rise Waterside Apartments development during the same year, and the design and build of the Premier Inn Leeds Headingly Hotel (constructed on top of the Arndale shopping centre) in 2017. More recently, Clegg Construction started working on a multi-million-pound refurbishment of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in the city. Clegg Construction is a Midlands, East Anglia, and Yorkshire-based construction firm specialising in the delivery of public and private sector projects. The company works with organisations of all sizes and specialties across a range of different sectors. For more information visit www.cleggconstruction.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The final part of almost £100 million-worth of development projects is now open to the University of Plymouth’s students, staff and visitors. Weighing in at £63 million, the revamped and dramatically extended Babbage Building is now home to the engineers and designers of tomorrow. And the next phase of the University’s Campus Masterplan is now in progress, with two further projects on track to be delivered by 2025. Vice Chancellor, Professor Judith Petts CBE says: “I am immensely proud that – at a time when many universities in the UK and internationally face significant fiscal difficulties – the University of Plymouth remains in robust financial health and continues to invest in sustainably improving its estate. “Babbage is yet another amazing building that will deliver our future success, by supporting engineering and design students as well as our leading research. It not only enhances our city centre campus, delivers a better student experience and delivers on our ambitions to reduce our University’s impact on the environment, but also continues our efforts to improve Plymouth’s built environment.” Babbage first opened to students of the future at the University’s open event on Saturday 18 November, ahead of welcoming current students plus staff two days later. Formal opening events are being planned for 2024, but the Vice Chancellor and the University’s Director of Estates and Facilities, Trevor Wills met with colleagues from BAM construction for a celebratory key handover this week (Wednesday 6 December 2024). Trevor says: “Babbage has been a challenging project to deliver – especially alongside InterCity Place. I wouldn’t recommend running two major redevelopment projects concurrently, but the pay-off is more than worth it and I have been lucky to work with amazing teams, both in-house at the University and through our contractors. “This building is a very attractive improvement to our urban campus and the interior has a marvellous sense of scale. “Now that Babbage is open for business, there’s a deep personal joy in seeing people using the space and finding something new every time I go in there, plus the feedback from students and colleagues is immensely positive.” While the main construction works are complete, specialist facilities and laboratories are still coming on stream, and a small team from BAM remains on site for some finishing touches. BAM’s regional director Tim Chell says: “We are delighted to be handing over the hugely impressive Babbage Building. It’s great to see that efforts of the whole team at BAM and the University of Plymouth have been rewarded, and that this facility will enhance the experience of all who use it. Well done to all involved.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Last week, housebuilding SMEs were invited to a Future Homes Hub (FHH) event, hosted by leading housebuilder Redrow, at its Stone Hill Meadow development. Leaders from across the industry gathered at the site, which was the first to launch since Redrow committed to install Air Source Heat Pumps across all its new, upcoming developments. Stone Hill Meadow is a prime example of Redrow’s eco-electric homes with underfloor heating and other energy efficient features fitted as standard. The Future Homes Hub has been focusing on driving greater collaboration to support successful delivery of the Future Homes Standard alongside other priorities in meeting the sector’s climate and environmental goals such as water efficiency improvements, biodiversity net gain and improving sustainability metrics. The event was organised by the FHH Implementation Board, which is Co-Chaired by Redrow CEO Matthew Pratt, as part of the collaboration efforts and to promote knowledge sharing within the industry ahead of the Future Homes Standard being implemented in 2025. Matthew Pratt, CEO of Redrow and Co-Chair of the FHS Implementation Board, said: “SMEs are a vital part of the industry transition to new, low carbon forms of energy. Having started out as a small business ourselves, nurturing new SME’s and offering a helping hand will always be at the heart of our culture. As housebuilders, we must work together to offer customers the best homes possible, that are fit for the future and for the planet. Redrow will continue collaborating and sharing knowledge to achieve these goals, through more events as well as online tools and webinars.” MD of Carr & Carr (Builders) Ltd and National President of the Federation of Master Builders commented: “These events are so important for SMEs like us who don’t have the technical departments, facilities and expertise of volume housebuilders. Redrow’s willingness to open their doors, collaborate and share learnings within the industry, when it comes to sustainability, energy efficiency and the implementation of the Future Homes Standard, will be pivotal in facilitating a level playing field for SMEs like us, as we move towards the 2025 goals.” Ed Lockhart, CEO of the Future Homes Hub, said: “Visiting Redrow’s Stone Hill Meadow development provided a very engaging way, particularly for SMEs who attended, to understand some of their learnings since launching heat pumps as standard across their business. By launching at scale, well ahead of the Future Homes Standard implementation deadline, they’ve been able to collate an enormous amount of learnings across the technical, design, supply chain and commercial aspects of the net zero transition. We know that sharing these learnings with SMEs is absolutely vital, and we’ll be encouraging other housebuilders to do the same, as well as implementing more tools to make these learnings accessible to everyone within the industry.” The Future Homes Standard 2025 (FHS) represents a significant and early milestone in England’s pathway to net zero, with substantial implications for how new homes are built. Successful implementation is therefore critical both for the homebuilding sector and more widely government and society. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hundreds more households will soon enjoy more affordable, reliable, and lower carbon heating with three tower blocks set to become the latest to connect to the city’s flagship Leeds PIPES district heating network. 259 council properties in Lovell Park Heights, Lovell Park Grange, and Lovell Park Towers will be set up to receive heat from the network within the next six months. Private leaseholders of properties in the Little London tower blocks will also be able to benefit from the network if they opt to connect their homes to the system. Households that are benefiting from the upgrade can expect to see the cost of heating their home reduce using Leeds PIPES, compared to their existing heating systems, and will also enjoy better reliability and control. Meanwhile, Leeds Conservatoire (formerly Leeds College of Music) has become the thirteenth non-residential customer to have signed a contract to connect. The new connections are expected to reduce the city’s annual carbon footprint by 279 tonnes, supporting efforts to end the city’s contribution to climate change by transitioning to ‘net zero’ emissions. By using heat and energy recovered from non-recyclable waste at the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF) to provide warmth and hot water to buildings in the city, the Leeds PIPES district heating project is helping businesses and residents to move away from costly fossil-fuel powered heating systems. The council estimates that the network, delivered in partnership with Vital Energi, is helping existing customers to collectively save nearly half a million pounds (£490,000) in reduced energy costs this year alone. The £62 million network continues to expand and is regularly connecting to new buildings. Leonardo & Thoresby student accommodation buildings and St James’s Hospital are the latest buildings to have begun taking heat from the scheme. Leeds City Council is currently in discussions with dozens of potential customers. Buildings and developments located near the underground pipes can choose to connect at any time and can register their interest on the Leeds PIPES website. Last year, the network of insulated underground pipes supplied 22,029 megawatt-hours of heating in total and helped reduce the city’s carbon footprint by 3,975 tonnes. Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Executive Member for Climate, Energy, Environment & Green Space and Councillor Jessica Lennox, Executive Member for Housing, said: “We are both delighted that hundreds more residents will soon be paying significantly less to heat their homes thanks to this latest expansion of the Leeds PIPES network. “Residents in the Lovell Park estate will join the thousands of council tenants and hundreds of private sector renters already benefiting. “Too many families in our city struggle to pay their energy bills—in part because the UK’s homes are some of the least efficient and most reliant on costly fossil fuel gas in Europe. “Whether it’s by connecting homes to affordable low carbon heating like Leeds PIPES, or investing in energy-saving measures like insulation, this council is committed to helping households by making our homes greener and fit for the future.” Mike Cooke, Vital Energi’s Managing Director (North and Scotland), said: “Leeds PIPES continues to be the UK’s landmark heat network and we’re delighted to announce these new connections, which means more people will benefit from low-carbon, cheaper heat to businesses and residents, making a real difference in their day-to-day lives. “We look forward to welcoming another 259 homes and Leeds Conservatoire to the fastest growing heat network and will work closely with the council to ensure they have the best possible customer experience.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Anglo American and STRABAG UK are delighted to announce that the tunnel at the Woodsmith project near Whitby, in the north-east of England, recently reached 25.8km in length. This breaks the current record for the world’s longest single tunnel boring machine drive. STRABAG UK is working on behalf of Anglo American to construct the world’s longest conveyor tunnel for a permanent mineral transport system (MTS) which will transport tens of millions of tonnes of polyhalite from under the North York Moors National Park. Polyhalite is a naturally occurring mineral which will then be crushed and granulated to create POLY4 – a unique multi-nutrient fertiliser which is suitable for organic use. It will be used in worldwide fertiliser programmes to help boost crop yields, plant strength and improve soil structure. World-leading tunnelling specialists, STRABAG, have been boring under the North York Moors National Park since June 2019 using a single (Hard Rock) Herrenknecht tunnel boring machine (TBM) to build the 37km tunnel with an internal diameter of 4.9 metres. The TBM was named Stella-Rose by a local primary school pupil, with Stella, meaning star in Latin, and Rose, after the famous local landmark Roseberry Topping. The former record was set by a water conveyance tunnel project in the Middle East which was also built using a Herrenknecht tunnel boring machine. Once completed, Anglo American and STRABAG will have set a new world record and are expecting this to be confirmed by Guinness World Records. STRABAG UK directly employ 450 staff on the project, 75% of which are local to Teesside, and has also prioritised the use of local construction partners and suppliers, creating many more jobs for the region. Managing Director for STRABAG UK, Simon Wild, said: “We are extremely proud of the team at the Woodsmith project for reaching this incredible milestone and safely passing the current world record set for a single bored tunnel drive. This is another example of our growing presence in the north- east of England and the UK, demonstrating our industry leading expertise.” Andrew Johnson, Woodsmith Project Director, added: “We are delighted to achieve such an incredible milestone in the UK as part of our pioneering project. It is a demonstration of the fruits of teamwork with our partners. We are now focused on looking forward and setting a new world record every day. The Woodsmith tunnel is a fundamental part of our commitment to create a sustainable mine with minimal environmental impact.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
CICV calls for urgent reform as the sector struggles with payment delays and financial strain. Despite government and industry past efforts to address financial challenges in the Scottish construction sector, the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) has found construction businesses continue to struggle with late payments, payment reductions, and unresolved disputes, highlighting the significant gap between purported initiatives and actual improvements in payment practices. Key findings from the research, conducted through the CICV’s 28 member organisations in November, revealed: Commenting on the findings, Ian Honeyman, Co-Chair of CICV’s Procurement, Quality and Pipeline Group, articulates the gravity of the situation: “These findings underscore the severe impact that delayed payments, or even worse, non-payments, have on the viability of businesses, compounded by the strain from reduced credit facilities and retained funds. “Despite well-publicised commitments from government and industry to address unfair and damaging payment practices in the UK and Scottish construction sectors, aimed at improving cash flow along the supply chain, we continue to observe poor behaviour in this area. “Without substantial changes in these practices, attaining a financially stable and sustainable construction sector remains challenging.” In response, Len Bunton, Co-Chair of CICV’s Procurement, Quality and Pipeline Group, has called for a radical overhaul of payment practices in Scotland’s construction sector. He asserts, “Given that existing legislation or initiatives such as the Prompt Payment Codes have not resolved these persistent issues, it is clear that we require more robust practical measures. “The current state of affairs is unsustainable and demands immediate action.” Looking ahead, both Ian and Len stressed CICV’s determination to address these challenges: “We are committed to directing CICV’s efforts on providing targeted, practical guidance and advice to tackle the pressing payment issues, aiming to improve cash flow and foster sustainable practices in the construction sector. “This approach will demonstrate CICV’s determination to transform sector issues into opportunities for positive change, underscoring its commitment to enhancing the overall health of Scotland’s construction sector.” Download the full payment practices survey results. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Brothers Sandy and James Easdale, joint owners of the Easdale Investment Group have now acquired a further industrial unit in Renfrew. Previously owned by Peel Waters Limited, the property development arm of Peel Group, the site at Meadowside Street in Renfrew is located as part of the Neil Street Industrial Estate. The property is currently let to aviation repair firm, Aeropair Limited and was purchased through the Easdales’ Dalglen Investments vehicle for an undisclosed sum. Alan Stewart at Breck Property Consultants helped to broker the deal. This deal comes hard on the heels of their recent purchase of Kingston Industrial Estate, a 19-unit property located at Kingston Dock in Port Glasgow, adjacent to the A8 and Gallagher Retail Park. This new site is located between other Easdale owned sites at Neil Street Industrial Estate, which is located adjacent to the Renfrew Ferry and home to Clyde Metal Recycling, also owned by the Easdale family. Property firm Bowman Rebecchi is supporting the overall letting and management of the Easdales’ Dalglen Investments portfolio. James Easdale said: “We are pleased to be able to conclude the deal for this further asset and consolidate our other areas of ownership at Renfrew. This acquisition further supports our previous strategic investments across the UK and brings a superb tenant and property into our broader portfolio.” “We are in a good position to add to our portfolio and continue to consider several new opportunities throughout the United Kingdom. We’d like to thank Peel Waters Ltd for their support during the negotiations and we continue to develop a good working relationship together.” Brian Lavalette, Property Director at Glasgow Waters, said: “We have been delighted to work in partnership with Dalglen Investments in the sale of this property which will further strengthen and enhance their property portfolio in the area. We thank Dalglen for the swift and professional manner the transaction was undertaken.“ Dalglen’s property investment operations are behind several housing projects, including the Spango Valley site in Greenock, the former Tullis Russell paper factory in Glenrothes, and a waterside housing development at Dumbarton, creating over 3,000 new homes within the next decade throughout Scotland. Earlier this month, approval was also granted by Inverclyde Council for the Easdale Investment Group to create 47 new homes at the site of the former Tate & Lyle factory in Greenock as part of a new £15 million development. The current property and construction developments being led by the Easdale family in the UK are estimated at £800 million. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Relocating to the idyllic Devonshire countryside, to a small rural village surrounded by spectacular views is a dream for many. For John Greatwood and his family, it’s now reality. John and his wife Phillipa lived and worked in Carshalton in South London with their four-year-old twins, Finley and Imogen. When it came to deciding where they wanted their children to go to school, the couple decided to pack up and move to the mid-Devon village of Hemyock. With a clear vision for the home and location they wanted to live in, as well as a firm deadline for when they needed to be moved by in the country, John and Phillipa searched Rightmove and found the Cavanna Homes Oak Mount development in Hemyock. “The area and its amenities were the biggest selling point for us, particularly as the local primary school is within walking distance of Oak Mount,” explained John. We also wanted to be within a 15-minute drive of Honiton as we have close friends who live there,” he added. Oak Mount is within the Blackdown Hills National Landscape with some of the homes benefiting from views over uninterrupted countryside. The three and four-bedroom family homes are within walking distance to Hemyock village with local amenities on the doorstep, including a shop, pub, post office, a doctors’ surgery and pharmacy. “We wanted a house with four bedrooms, a garage, space for a home office, and an open plan kitchen with dining space for family mealtimes”, said John. “We looked through the different house types on the Cavanna Homes website and found one that ticked all our boxes – the ‘Hockinston’!”. The couple then booked to visit the Oak Mount Marketing Suite to find out more about buying with Cavanna Homes and to explore the area. John said: “As the development was still in its early stages, not all the homes had been built yet, so the Sales Advisor arranged for us to see the same house type at one of their developments in Exeter whilst we were down visiting. “We fell in love with the Hockinston and set the wheels in motion to reserve our brand-new family home at Oak Mount.” As a Carpenter, John was able to easily visualise how their finished home would look, but to put Phillipa’s mind at ease, the couple booked a second visit to Oak Mount to look around the newly opened ‘Hockinston’ show home. “We’d never reserved a home off plan before, so I was keen to visit the show home to see the build quality and layout of the house, and we weren’t disappointed”, said Phillipa. She was also able to envisage where she could create an office to enable her to comfortably work from home as a Travel Consultant. The idea of a new-build property enticed John and Phillipa because there would be no need for renovations or costly improvement works. New-build homes also have excellent energy performance ratings, making them cheaper to run than older properties. Every home at Oak Mount is built with greener living in mind and is installed with high-quality wall and loft insulation, double glazing and an air source heat pump, which provides a low carbon heating alternative to gas. “The Sales and Site team were great at introducing us to our air source heat pump, showing and advising us how to use it most efficiently,” said John. The family collected the keys to their new home on 26th July and moved in two days later. Finley and Imogen started at the local primary school in September; “We can do the school run in under 5 minutes with no need for a car, which is fantastic. It’s been a big change for the twins, but they’ve really embraced it and are settling in well”, said Phillipa. “We love our new home and we’re living out our countryside dream”, added John. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Renowned Northampton construction consultancy Bhangals Construction Consultants has celebrated its recent expansion and office move by making two dedicated members of staff directors of the business. Former operations manager Katie Newman is now Associate Operations Director and Harrison Baxter, who was previously estimating manager at the firm, has been named Associate Estimating Director. The dynamic duo have worked their way up the career ladder at Bhangals Construction Consultants over the last five years and both recently featured in the company’s Build A Career at Bhangals campaign which marked Careers in Construction Month. The month-long celebration of the career paths available in the construction industry shone a much-needed spotlight on the rewarding opportunities on offer in the sector to people looking learn a new craft or skillset. Katie and Harrison were perfect examples for the campaign as both have grown with the business. Katie started out as a client services executive five years ago, and now oversees and improves business processes and in-house strategies to ensure the company’s success. She said: “I’m thrilled to announce my new role. From starting out as an administrator five years ago to being where I am now is something I’m extremely proud of and I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of such an amazing team. I’m so excited for the journey ahead!” Harrison, who studied product design and has a natural eye for detail, looks after a team of around 20 estimators and enjoys the responsibility of his role. He said: “I am so excited about this promotion. My journey throughout the last five years has been unimaginable and I have grown within the business and within myself by a staggering amount. I am excited for what this new opportunity brings and can’t wait to hit future goals with our amazing team.” Bhangals Construction Consultants Managing Director Parm Bhangal said: “This promotion for Katie and Harrison is well deserved and well earned. They are both an asset to our business and their dedication and hard work has paid off. We look forward to continuing to watch them thrive as they ascend the professional ladder within our organisation.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest research from eXp UK, the platform for personal estate agents, has revealed which famous TV faces would struggle to make it in today’s property market when taking into account both the pay they take home and the cost of homeownership in their respective areas. eXp UK looked at 12 much loved TV characters, what their onscreen professions would earn today and just how much it costs to purchase a property in their hometowns, before working out the income to house price ratio for each character. With the current average UK house price sitting at £291,385 and the average gross salary coming in at £25,404, the average income to house price ratio currently stands at 8.2*. Ian Beale priced out of Albert Square But spare a thought for Ian Beale, long-serving Eastender, who is facing a far less affordable outlook when it comes to the property market. While he may have held many jobs over the years, his fish and chip shop and vegetable stall have seen him through thick and thin. While the average caterer makes £27,886 across the UK, the average cost of a property in the East End of London is a lofty £512,825. As a result, Ian Beale would have a very tough time climbing the property ladder in today’s market with the income to house price ratio coming in at a huge 18.4 – 10.2 higher than the national benchmark. Vicar of Dibley would be Dibley-less Geraldine Granger, otherwise known as the Vicar of Dibley, wouldn’t fare much better. The average earnings for a member of clergy is currently £26,300. The fictional village of Dibley is set in Oxfordshire, where house prices average £445,210, meaning Geraldine would require 16.9 times her income to cover the cost of a home. Sherlock Holmes has no chance in Westminster While the average detective may earn as much as £62,343 per year, the average price of a home in Westminster is currently £967,277, meaning Sherlock Holmes would require 15.5 times his annual earnings to purchase within the borough today. Gavin and Stacey would have to make do without Smithy Smithy from Gavin and Stacey would earn £28,109 as a builder and decorator today, but should he want to purchase in his hometown of Billericay, he’d need 13.2 times his annual income to cover the cost of the average property there. Other famous TV faces priced out of the market Edina Moon from Ab Fab would also need 13 times her annual income as a PR executive to purchase in Holland Park, Alfie Wickers from Bad Education would have to earn 10.9 times his annual earnings as a secondary school teacher to cover the cost of a property in his hometown, while the average price of a property in Postman Pat’s hometown sits at 10.9 times the average earnings of a postman. Who would make it onto the property ladder? Of the famous faces analysed by eXp UK there are a few who would have less of a struggle than the rest when it comes to the task of achieving homeownership. With a general office manager pulling in £42,156 a year and the average house price in Slough sitting at £312,777, David Brent is facing one of the more affordable house price to income ratios at 7.4. Alan Partridge would require 5.8 times the average income of a broadcaster to purchase in Norwich, while the average house price in Cornwall is just 4.7 times Doc Martin’s annual income as a GP. Head of eXp UK, Adam Day, commented: “These famous TV faces are, of course, fictional. However, it’s interesting to see just how many would struggle in today’s housing market based on the locations they live in, the income they generate and the average cost of a home. Had Ian Beale known just how much house prices in the east end would climb in recent years, he probably would have sacked off the chip shop and invested in bricks and mortar a long time ago. It also goes to show that even someone as incompetent as David Brent can climb the ladder with greater ease by opting for a more affordable location as Slough, while those working as detectives, teachers, clergy and PRs will struggle in London and the surrounding areas due to the far higher cost of property.” Data Tables Income to house price ratio is the number of years annual gross income required to cover the current average house price in a given area. Current house price data for each area sourced from the Gov – UK House Price Index Current average gross earnings sourced from the Office for National Statistics – Employee earnings in the UK: 2023 View the full data tables here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
