Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented: “It’s probably fair to say that while an extension was welcomed, the stamp duty holiday is starting to linger over the market like a bad smell. For the vast majority, the intended benefit has now been nullified thanks to the huge rates
The latest research by the nationwide buy-to-let specialist, Sequre Property Investment, has revealed that despite a string of government changes around stamp duty, tax relief and a potential change to capital gains tax, UK landlords remain undeterred where their investment intentions are concerned. While changes to tax relief and a
In 2021, after more than a year of confinement to our homes, it has become apparent that having a strong, positive connection to the space around us is more important than ever. A study by OnePoll for Yale even found that 58% of Brits have developed a new-found fondness for their homes and its contents. The question therefore remains, how we can use
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, today announced its underway speculatively developing a 345,414 sq ft logistics facility at Tamworth. The new facility, Tamworth 345 is located on the A5 connecting to the heart of the Midlands motorway network, just minutes from junction 10 of the M42.
If you’re looking for the finest selection of the latest online casinos, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 greatest NetEn casinos, so you don’t have to! Whether you’re hunting for poker games or slot machines, the finest games are all here and
The latest research by Birmingham and Newcastle-based property developer, StripeHomes, has examined where in England buy-to-let landlords can achieve the best rent yields, discovering that the North provides the most valuable investment opportunities. The buy-to-let industry has endured some tough times in the last couple of years. Not only has
SWC has been awarded a three-year deal with Great Portland Street Estates plc covering its portfolio of over 40 properties across London. The contract award is one of the largest stand-alone window cleaning contracts in the country, which will see the SWC team demonstrating a wide variety of specialist window
J Tomlinson is making excellent progress on a brand‐new, Nottinghamshire‐based apartment scheme for older people which will be managed by client Jigsaw Homes Midlands with funding from Homes England. Set to complete in early 2022, Stockinger House in Burton Joyce will comprise a mix of high‐quality one and two‐bedroom apartments
Leading utility specialist Fastflow Group, a subsidiary of United Living Infrastructure Services, has been chosen to rebuild a key Pressure Reduction Station (PRS) in North London. The c. £4 million project, on behalf of gas giant Cadent, will keep the energy flowing safely and reliably for many generations. With the
Custom Build Homes (CBH) welcomes the government’s announcement (Tuesday, 20 July) launching a range of measures to achieve its vision for building beautiful places and putting people at the heart of new neighbourhoods, with an expectation that new housing projects should include custom build as part of the housing mix.
Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented: “It’s probably fair to say that while an extension was welcomed, the stamp duty holiday is starting to linger over the market like a bad smell. For the vast majority, the intended benefit has now been nullified thanks to the huge rates of house price growth seen since launch. With the long delays that have also ensued as a result of such unprecedented levels of buyer demand, it’s arguably never been less appealing to embark on the archaic process of buying a home. Despite this, homebuyers have, and will, continue to flock to the market in order to realise their dream of homeownership and this will help maintain the upward price trends seen of late.” Managing Director of Barrows and Forrester, James Forrester, commented: “The recent heatwave may have subsided but the property market is still running red hot and, despite the odd month to month wobble, we continue to see double-digit annual growth which is a phenomenal rate to have been sustained so consistently.” Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented: “Even the apocalyptic wet weather seen over the weekend can’t dampen the UK housing market, with yet more strong upward movement despite the impending expiry of the stamp duty holiday. Even in London where the rate of house price growth has been less pronounced than the rest of the UK, homes are selling at a rate of knots and homesellers are achieving a far higher percentage of asking price than they were just a few short months ago.” CEO of Keller Williams UK, Ben Taylor, commented: “A severe shortage of housing stock, the low cost of borrowing and a high level of buyer confidence are the perfect ingredients to maintain what has been a pretty impressive run of house price appreciation. The widespread talks of a market cliff edge once the stamp duty holiday ends have now turned to hushed whispers and while record rates of growth will inevitably lead to some monthly ups and downs, the long-term health of the UK property market is looking very good at present.”
The latest research by the nationwide buy-to-let specialist, Sequre Property Investment, has revealed that despite a string of government changes around stamp duty, tax relief and a potential change to capital gains tax, UK landlords remain undeterred where their investment intentions are concerned. While changes to tax relief and a three per cent increase to the rate of stamp duty on buy-to-let purchases was predicted to cause a mass exodus of landlords, the research by Sequre found that just 10% have sold part of their portfolio in the last five years. Ascend then asked if they planned to sell up in the next five years and just 19% stated they were thinking of doing so. Despite the government’s best intentions, changes made to dampen buy-to-let profitability aren’t the driving factor they were intended to be. In fact, the majority of landlords stated that they were thinking of selling up because they had become tired of dealing with tenants issues. A problem that was no doubt intensified during the pandemic when the government implemented a ban on tenant evictions. The next biggest factor when considering a buy-to-let investment is retirement, with most landlords looking to sell up in order to enjoy their golden years. However, the previous changes to landlord tax relief did rank as the third most influential factor, while the increase in stamp duty tax followed closely behind. With a change to capital gains tax failing to materialise in the last Budget, it ranks as the least influential factor, with more landlords exiting in order to invest in different asset classes instead. Sales Director at Sequre Property Investment, Daniel Jackson, commented: “Investing in property remains one of the safest options you can make in this day and age and so it comes as little surprise that the majority of landlords remain confident with their investment and have no plans to exit the buy-to-let sector. It’s also interesting to see that the government has failed to intimidate the nation’s landlords, despite a consistent campaign to reduce profit margins and force them out of the sector. In fact, more landlords have decided to leave having grown tired of dealing with tenants than they have because of various government tax changes. So it looks as though the government will have to actually build some more homes if they wish to address the current housing crisis, rather than rely on hard-working landlords to boost the nation’s property stock levels.” Survey of 797 UK landlords carried out by Sequre Property Investment via consumer research platform Find Out Now (21st July 2021). Have you sold part or all of your buy-to-let portfolio in the last five years? Answer Respondents No 90% Yes 10% Do you intend to sell part or all of your buy-to-let portfolio in the next five years? Answer Respondents No 81% Yes 19% What has been the driving factor behind this? (Tick all that apply) Answer Respondents Tired of dealing with tenant issues 24% Retirement 23% Changes to landlord tax relief 19% Increase in stamp duty tax for B2L purchases 12% Investing in a different asset 11% A potential increase in capital gains tax 11%
In 2021, after more than a year of confinement to our homes, it has become apparent that having a strong, positive connection to the space around us is more important than ever. A study by OnePoll for Yale even found that 58% of Brits have developed a new-found fondness for their homes and its contents. The question therefore remains, how we can use this concept in architecture to create spaces with which communities feel an authentic emotional connection. Carys Thomas- Osborne, research assistant and environmental psychologist at GT3 Architects, explores the notion of ‘place attachment’ and its pivotal role in the design of successful architectural projects. “We know that humans form bonds and attachments to one another; our friendships and relationships provide us with comfort, stability, and support for growth. However, attachments to buildings or environments can be just as powerful. Environments, such as the house you grew up in, a favourite holiday destination, or your university campus, can be just as meaningful to us as individuals, and we may feel a sense of emotional attachment to them for any number of reasons. “This is known as ‘place attachment’ and has been shown to affect factors such as happiness, perceived safety, and overall wellbeing. Place attachment has been linked to an increased sense of community, more pro-environmental behaviours, and increased efforts to maintain and protect the environment. There are almost no limits to the type of place we can form an attachment to – you don’t even have to have visited an environment for a meaningful attachment to form. Place attachments are strong and can last long after a place is lost or destroyed, even evoking a response that is similar to the grief we feel at losing a loved one. “Place attachment can be used in architecture and urban planning to help us understand why people may object to or resent certain redevelopments. The quality or functionality of a place does not always influence the attachment people might feel towards it. My halls of residence in my first year of university was neither attractive nor functional, yet I still feel a sense of attachment to it. The same can be said for some of the environments, workplaces, or leisure facilities that we aim to improve. “So, what can we do? We can learn to foster place attachment in our new projects by encouraging stakeholders and users to get involved with the process and by using materials or decorative elements that will hold significance. Studies have shown that higher levels of place attachment can even encourage individuals to actively protect the environment and engage in wider pro-environmental behaviour. Using what we know about place attachment, we can help to foster a sense of identity and ownership over our new projects. “For example, we recently worked with a local authority to incorporate a local landmark and wildlife photography, taken or submitted by its team, into the interior concept for its new workplace. Small additions like this can make a big difference to people’s perception of a space. Attachment is not only related to the physical attributes of a space; often it is due to a particular event or behaviour that occurred there. In the context of our projects, we consider the historical uses and features of the site and integrate them into our concepts and strategies where possible. “As with a lot of the work we do, fostering place attachment within architecture and interior design isn’t new, but being able to put a name to the concepts we’re applying can help us develop and explore the methods we’re using and the behaviours we’re trying to elicit. We want the environments we design and develop to have character and to be an important part of the community that people feel attached to; understanding place attachment can help us get there.”
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, today announced its underway speculatively developing a 345,414 sq ft logistics facility at Tamworth. The new facility, Tamworth 345 is located on the A5 connecting to the heart of the Midlands motorway network, just minutes from junction 10 of the M42. It is part of Panattoni’s commitment to a significant speculative development programme in the UK in response to strong demand from occupiers for immediately available space. Construction of Tamworth 345 has now commenced and is expected to be completed in Q1 2022. Buckingham Group Contracting have been appointed main contractor on site. The facility will benefit from 2MVa of power, 15m clear internal height, 32 dock doors and six-level access doors, a 50m deep yard and built to a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’. There will also be parking for 50 HGVs and 221 cars. Simon Jenkins, Development Director at Panattoni, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us, as land in the West Midlands for building a logistics facility of this scale is very scarce. Our appetite for speculative development reflects the strength of demand from occupiers for immediately available space”. The appointed agents on the scheme are JLL and Burbage Realty. For more information please visit this link.
If you’re looking for the finest selection of the latest online casinos, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 greatest NetEn casinos, so you don’t have to! Whether you’re hunting for poker games or slot machines, the finest games are all here and waiting for you to check them out and begin to have fun! What is NetEnt? NetEnt was created in 1996 by one of Scandinavia’s most well-known land-based casino operators. The casino game provider has been a pioneer in internet gaming for years. The firm, which is based in Sweden, operates across a large part of Europe and North America. NetEnt was formerly a publicly-traded business. By the end of December 2020, Evolution Gaming had acquired the game provider. Evolution Gaming currently owns all of NetEnt’s games. The purchase came a few years after NetEnt acquired Red Tiger Gaming Limited, another online gambling game provider. The firm employs approximately 600 people, the majority of whom are dedicated to the creation and manufacturing of new games. All of the games follow the company’s mission of “Driving the Online Casino Market via Better Games.” With such a connection, you might have great hopes for games that are recognised for their high quality. NetEnt’s only purpose is to give customers a great experience by offering cutting-edge online gaming solutions that provide the best entertainment. Netent games are more than just that. Created by a group of extremely committed and driven professionals that possess a diverse variety of skills but have a love for online gambling. 1. Casumo Casumo is ranked number one on the list as it offers new players a 100% bonus plus 20 bonus spins when they deposit €25! In our opinion, that is a terrific casino bonus! 2. Praise Casino Praise Casino deserves all the praise! A fantastic online casino that will match new clients’ first deposit of €120 with a bonus of 100 additional spins. This is a fantastic chance for people who wish to spice up their lives! 3. GSlot GSlot ranks third among the top ten greatest Netent casinos, with new players receiving over 200 free spins! Fans of slot machines will love this game. 4. Zet Casino The third casino on the list is Zet Casino, which has a fantastic welcome bonus for all new players! As a welcome bonus, you’ll receive a whopping 200 free spins, so you can keep spinning all night! 5. Casino Buck Casino Buck is ranked number five on the list, and it offers new players a match bonus up to €200, as well as an incredible 200 free spins bonus! A wonderful opportunity for anyone looking to have a nice time in a casual setting. 6. Mega Slot With Mega Slot, you may get more than just a mega win; they’re also giving out 200 free spins. Fans of slot machines, get together and play Mega Slot right now! 7. Sons of Slots Sons of Slots has a fantastic welcome package for new players. All new players will receive 30 no deposit spins as well as a 100% match bonus up to €150. 8. Casino Gods On number eight, we have Casino Gods. They are presently giving a casino bonus of 100% up to €1500 and 300 free spins. A fantastic offer for anyone looking to see a new location. 9. Kassu Kassu is up next with a fantastic opportunity for 100% bonus up to €100 and plays with €200, plus a super amazing 50 free spins! 10. Pokerstars Casino If you enjoy poker, you’ve come to the right place! When you deposit €10 at Pokerstars, you will receive 100 free spins!
The latest research by Birmingham and Newcastle-based property developer, StripeHomes, has examined where in England buy-to-let landlords can achieve the best rent yields, discovering that the North provides the most valuable investment opportunities. The buy-to-let industry has endured some tough times in the last couple of years. Not only has COVID-19 profoundly affected the reliability of rental income, but changes to regulations and tax rules have also made it more difficult for landlords to maintain a good level of profit from their investments. Proposed changes to Capital Gains Tax allowances were threatening to make the situation even harder, but now that this has been put on the backburner, landlords can finally start looking forward and thinking about how best to grow their rental portfolios. When doing so, rent yields are the most important statistic to examine, so StripeHomes has analysed all of the available data to provide a list of England’s best locations for high-yield buy-to-let returns. By Region On a broad regional level, the best buy-to-let yields can be found in the North East. Of course, the North East region is huge and so research when investing should always be undertaken at a more granular level. However, the region as a whole is currently home to an average house price of £144,032 and an average rent value of £566 per month, the rental yield is 4.7%, well above the national average of 3.9%. Second on the list is Yorkshire & Humber, where the average house price is £179,408 and the average rent is £631 per month, delivering a good yield of 4.2%. The third-most profitable buy-to-let region is the North West with an average yield of 4.2%, followed by London – the first location not found in England’s North – where high house prices are matched by high rent values to create a yield of just under 4%. Rounding off the top five is the West Midlands, where an average house price of £216,973 meets an average rent value of £697 per month to create a yield of 3.9%. By Local Authority This yield analysis can also be narrowed down to examine individual towns and cities, which shows that the very best rental yields for buy-to-let landlords in England are found in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. With an average house price of £177,821 and average monthly rent of £844, the city offers an average yield of 5.7%. Blackpool is close behind with an average house price of £116,939 and an average rent of £540 per month creating a yield of 5.5%. Stoke-on-Trent also boasts yields of 5.5%, while Burnley in Lancashire and Knowsley in Merseyside both offer yields of 5.4%. It’s clear from this data that the best rent yields in England are currently found in the North, demonstrated by the fact that 16 of the country’s top 20 yield locations are found north of Nottingham. Managing Director of StripeHomes, James Forrester, commented: “It’s great to see a number of areas presenting strong yields to buy-to-let investors despite the government’s best efforts to reduce profit margins in an attempt to disincentivise landlords and free up housing stock for general homebuyers. As the backbone of the rental market, the buy-to-let sector plays an incredibly important role in providing many with a place to live, but we simply can’t expect the nation’s landlords to provide this service at a loss. However, the year ahead looks positive and with travel restrictions lifting, a return to face to face teaching at universities as well as a return to the physical workplace, increasing demand should help boost many areas of the market.” Table shows the current average yield in each region of England Location AveHP – April 2021 Average rent pm – March 2021 Rental yield North East £144,032 £566 4.72% Yorkshire and The Humber £179,408 £631 4.22% North West £183,299 £636 4.16% London £491,687 £1,623 3.96% West Midlands Region £216,973 £697 3.85% East Midlands £213,308 £660 3.71% South West £279,951 £840 3.60% South East £341,358 £999 3.51% East of England £313,964 £889 3.40% England £268,380 £864 3.86% Sources Gov.uk – UK House Price Index Office for National Statistics – Private Rental Market Summary Table shows the areas of England with the highest average rental yield at present Location AveHP – April 2021 Average rent pm – March 2021 Rental yield Newcastle upon Tyne £177,821 £844 5.70% Blackpool £116,939 £540 5.54% Stoke-on-Trent £120,043 £547 5.47% Burnley £105,618 £477 5.42% Knowsley £142,030 £641 5.42% Hyndburn £107,148 £482 5.40% Sunderland £126,520 £541 5.13% County Durham £117,576 £502 5.12% Barrow-in-Furness £131,544 £560 5.11% Salford £182,091 £770 5.07% Manchester £203,169 £838 4.95% Pendle £120,840 £498 4.95% Newham £382,016 £1,536 4.82% Blackburn with Darwen £127,154 £511 4.82% City of Nottingham £172,540 £682 4.74% Preston £143,743 £568 4.74% Barking and Dagenham £312,288 £1,226 4.71% Middlesbrough £125,115 £490 4.70% Stockton-on-Tees £146,819 £573 4.68% City of Bristol £306,482 £1,196 4.68% Sources Gov.uk – UK House Price Index Office for National Statistics – Private Rental Market Summary
SWC has been awarded a three-year deal with Great Portland Street Estates plc covering its portfolio of over 40 properties across London. The contract award is one of the largest stand-alone window cleaning contracts in the country, which will see the SWC team demonstrating a wide variety of specialist window cleaning techniques including Cradle systems, BMUs, rope access and traditional water fed pole systems in order to provide outstanding window cleaning across the variety of classic and state of the art modern buildings. Some of the notable buildings within the portfolio are 200 Grays Inn Road, brand new Hanover Square and The Hickman. Rebecca Bradley, Head of Property Services at Great Portland Estates plc said: “We were delighted to award SWC with this prestigious contract. We have a clear strategic focus on London with a varied portfolio of properties. SWC’s investment in their people, innovative cleaning methods and Health and safety approach, showed us that they are more than capable of offering a service that will cater for all of our buildings.” Gareth Thomas, Managing Director at SWC commented: “We were extremely pleased to win this significant contract. As one of the largest standalone window cleaning contracts in the county, it is a testament to our staff and their willingness to go the extra mile to exceed our client’s expectations. We look forward to working with Great Portland Estates plc and building our respective businesses.”
J Tomlinson is making excellent progress on a brand‐new, Nottinghamshire‐based apartment scheme for older people which will be managed by client Jigsaw Homes Midlands with funding from Homes England. Set to complete in early 2022, Stockinger House in Burton Joyce will comprise a mix of high‐quality one and two‐bedroom apartments designed for older people, and has been specially designed to provide residents with an independent living environment with capacity for some ‘extra care’ accommodation, including assisted bathrooms, guest suites, and an on‐call social alarm. Works commenced before Christmas 2020 and included demolition of Lendrum Court – a former sheltered housing complex created in 1972 by Basford District Council that will be replaced by the new, purpose‐built development. As part of this exciting design and build project, J Tomlinson will also be undertaking landscaping works, including creation of a car parking area and electric vehicle charging infrastructure works. The development is situated just off Lambley Lane in Burton Joyce, and forms part of Jigsaw’s long-term commitment to providing much‐needed affordable homes. J Tomlinson has worked with Jigsaw Homes Midlands– formerly known as Gedling Homes – to deliver a range of new build and refurbishment projects over the past three years. Other housing schemes undertaken in partnership with Jigsaw include the design and build of 12 apartments and six houses at York Mews in Arnold; internal and external upgrades to six‐storey flats at Walton Court, Carlton, as well as refurbishment and upgrades to communal areas at Moreland Court – an independent living scheme for older people ‐ also in Carlton. Tony Shenton, managing director at J Tomlinson commented: “We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Jigsaw Homes Midlands to create much‐needed accommodation for over‐55s in Nottinghamshire. Masonry and pre‐cast flooring works are ongoing, with roofing works due to commence next month, and we will continue to work closely with our client and the wider project team to ensure that the completed development is fit for purpose and aligns with Jigsaw Group’s vision.” Karen Sands, Head of Independent Living at Jigsaw Homes Midlands said: “These new apartments will offer a modern, light, spacious and safe environment that meets the expectations of local older people. We are really pleased to see this development progress and look forward to welcoming our new residents in February 2022.” J Tomlinson, whose head office is situated in Beeston – just 30 minutes from the development site – is a leading provider of new build, refurbishment, engineering and maintenance services to clients across the Midlands, Yorkshire, Central and Southern England. The company operates across a range of specialist sectors, including extra care, healthcare, social housing, commercial and industrial, emergency services, and local government. Jigsaw Homes Midlands is part of the Jigsaw Group, one of the largest housing groups in England, with over 34,000 homes across the North West and East Midlands. For more information, please visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk
Leading utility specialist Fastflow Group, a subsidiary of United Living Infrastructure Services, has been chosen to rebuild a key Pressure Reduction Station (PRS) in North London. The c. £4 million project, on behalf of gas giant Cadent, will keep the energy flowing safely and reliably for many generations. With the old Tottenham Holder Station demolished, the new PRS set to be constructed off Albany Road, Tottenham. Once operational, it will adjust gas pressure, enabling it to be fed into the local gas distribution network, supplying thousands of homes, businesses and community facilities. The scheme also involves replacing ageing pipes with tough new ones, ensuring better connectivity and improved resilience of the gas network. The PRS rebuild forms part of the broader redevelopment of the area, supporting the £6 billion Meridian Water scheme that will deliver over 10,000 homes and thousands of new jobs in Enfield over the next 20 years. As well as supporting the delivery of new homes and jobs, the PRS rebuild will take place on a ‘clean construction site’, with minimal CO2 emissions and noise pollution, helping to drive a low carbon economy, support a green recovery and help deliver the UK’s clean growth strategy. Several innovative technologies are to be employed on-site to reduce carbon emissions, including trialling a Hydrogen fuel cell, zero-emission temporary welfare units, hybrid machinery, HVO fuel, Green Concrete, battery-powered hand tools, electric vehicles, and solar panel lighting towers. The predicted CO2 saving over a standard construction process is a massive 274.45T/CO2e, a significant reduction, which will help Cadent work towards its net zero ambitions. With the construction part of the rebuild scheduled to be completed by mid 2022, Andrew Hejdner, Senior Project Manager, Cadent Capital Delivery, said: “Cadent has a longstanding relationship with Fastflow and it’s great to see both the engineering and sustainability challenges being addressed in a collaborative way with passion and enthusiasm. “Decarbonising construction is a dilemma the whole industry faces and some of the initiatives being deployed at the Tottenham project will showcase what is possible. Over a short space of time I’m hopeful this technology will become business as usual meaning we can really make inroads into reducing our carbon footprint.” Benn Cottrell, Managing Director, Fastflow Group / United Living Infrastructure Services, added: “We’re pleased to have been chosen by Cadent for this exciting project and bring our engineering expertise to help secure safe gas supplies for years to come. Taking on this vital installation, with its specific challenges, is a project to which our team is looking forward. We’re already getting started on the planning in order to deliver safely and efficiently for Cadent. “The construction and infrastructure industry traditionally use a significant amount of energy to deliver critical projects that shape the communities in which we live. To counteract this, it is our responsibility to modernise the energy consumption approach and help reduce carbon emissions from our operations. “While creating energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure is key, it’s just as important to reduce the impact on the environment during the construction of these buildings. With solutions such as hydrogen fuel cells, hybrid machinery, clean, renewable fuel, we can improve our sustainability practices and reduce the impact construction sites have on the environment, as our industry strives towards meeting its carbon reduction targets”. Cadent is the UK’s biggest gas network. It ensures gas reaches more than 11 million customers, by maintaining and upgrading networks that include more than 80,000 miles of pipes, with new connections added every day. Placed end to end, that amount would already stretch more than three times around the world.
Custom Build Homes (CBH) welcomes the government’s announcement (Tuesday, 20 July) launching a range of measures to achieve its vision for building beautiful places and putting people at the heart of new neighbourhoods, with an expectation that new housing projects should include custom build as part of the housing mix. In publishing the National Model Design Code (NMDC) the Government has provided detailed guidance on the production of design codes, guides and policies to promote successful design. An important element of good design when planning for all new housing set out in the Code is to provide for a mix of homes that custom build where possible. This should give councils the confidence to secure custom build housing on larger sites and give preference to schemes where such housing is proposed as part of the mix. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government also announced a new Office of Place to drive up design standards, testing and piloting the NMDC. The NMDC also includes supporting Guidance Notes which, for the first time, define what custom build housing is – namely new homes built on serviced building plots that are designed or customised for the occupant and the purchaser has input into the design, this can also include different house types and tenures. This helps to provide much needed clarification in terms of what type of housing Ministers consider to fall within the legal definition under the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 which is currently under review. Design codes along with plot-based masterplans and plot passports are also recognised as important tools when planning for self-build and custom build. To support the implementation of the NMDC the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been revised to set an expectation that all local planning authorities are to prepare local design guides or design codes consistent with the principles in the NMDC and which reflect local character and design preferences. The NPPF also expects that development which is not well designed should be refused. New houses will also be expected to be built on tree-lined streets with an emphasis on well-designed local architecture and support for walking and cycling to boost health, wellbeing and happiness. The government aims to digitalise the planning system to streamline planning decisions supported by design codes and enable local people to better navigate and access the planning process with online map-based local plans. This will allow people to visualise local plans for development and participate more fully in the planning system. Mario Wolf, CBH Director of Planning & Strategic Engagement at Custom Build Homes, said: “The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and new National Model Design Code mark an important step change in the consideration of design quality and the use of design codes in the planning and development process. “The recognition that custom build housing is as an integral part of well-designed new housing schemes should not be under-estimated and we will be advising our clients that it forms an increasingly important material consideration when new projects are submitted for planning.” CBH is well positioned to maximise the opportunities from this latest announcement for its clients. All our developments are demand led and sit well with this range of new planning measures. We generate data from our subscribers who have expressed an interest in creating their own home and use this data to inform our masterplans and customisable housing products to communities. We currently have a database of over 100,000 people actively looking for a building opportunity. CBH specialise in the preparation of design codes and plot passports for self-commissioned housing projects and typically use these for all our development projects. This ensures the look and feel of the places we create take full account of local preferences and fit into an area’s local vernacular. We typically work with a range of different types of landowners and match the development opportunity to the preferences of people who are actively looking to create their own homes. This maximises value and ensures that the development is built out as fast as the market allows. Our schemes also align with the government’s ambition to deliver housing via more innovative and modern methods of construction (MMC) which the NMDC supports. The delivery of custom build housing using MMC can be supported by design codes and maintain consistency where customisable house types are used on larger phased developments. MMC can also reduce time on-site and therefore disruption to new and existing communities, which is especially important on bespoke custom build plots as sites are built out. Using MMC over traditional building methods can also improve building performance with higher levels of air tightness and insulation which can mean a more sustainable and energy efficient house for new homebuyers. This is also what our demand surveys for sites consistently tell us. Infill and brownfield sites within existing urban contexts could also benefit from our customisable housing products as the impact on the surrounding neighbours is minimised given the reduced time spent on site.