An £82.7 million deal has been agreed between M&G Real Estate and Redrow Homes for the funding of more than 180 new build to rent homes in Colindale, North London. The 48-acre project, which is being created by Redrow on the site of the former Peel Centre Metropolitan Police training college, will see more than 2,900 new homes built over the next 10 years. “This new deal with another top UK house-builder, increases our ongoing development pipeline, offering our investors the opportunity to continue capitalising on the UK’s rapidly growing private rental market. We look forward to continued deals of this stature in the sector, providing investors with the chance to increase their exposure to the residential market,” said Alex Greaves, Head of Residential Investment at M&G Real Estate. “This development is a clear statement that renting can be the tenure of choice for an upwardly mobile workforce, which requires the flexibility of renting with high-quality service and support. Colindale has emerged as a property hotspot and is an area undergoing major transformation,” he added. The 186 homes are part of the £1.2 billion Colindale Garden development and they are anticipated to be ready by 2021. “This deal is another exciting step forward for Colindale Gardens and Redrow as we look to create a diverse and sustainable community that offers a range of housing for a diverse mix of Londoners,” said Mark Parker, Managing Director at Redrow Homes East London. “The wider area is fast becoming a hotspot for families and young professionals and our development will offer all the attributes which customers prioritise, including excellent connectivity, green open spaces and an abundance of amenities on their doorstep.” M&G Real Estate is the property investment arm of M&G and one of the world’s largest property investors with £30.1 billion of assets across all the major sectors in the UK, Europe and Asia. Drawing on 150 years of investment experience, the firm actively manages its properties to maximise returns and generate a strong income stream for institutional investors.

Bolsover, Derbyshire, will see more than 200 new homes being built on the end of Mooracre Lane and Rotherham Road. Keepmoat Homes has started work to deliver 212 properties and a show home is due to open on the site this autumn, ahead of properties becoming available at the end of the year. “We want to bring a thriving new neighbourhood to Bolsover. The homes at Hedgerows will be detached, semi-detached and terraced and from two to five bedrooms, making them ideal for families and suitable for a range of budgets,” said Shaun Fielding, Regional Managing Director for Keepmoat Homes in Midlands. “The site is on the edge of beautiful countryside and we are making sure the development is in keeping with this by ensuring that the design has included a number of open green spaces,” he added. The Hedgerows development also includes the building of a safer access route to Rotherham Road from Bolsover centre, with a new through road from Mooracre Lane to Rotherham Road and the inclusion of a speed bump as a traffic calming measure at the entrance of the site. “We’re working closely with Bolsover Council so we can ensure the development has a really positive impact on the area, bringing growth but also supporting the existing facilities,” said Shaun. “This includes the provision of almost £520,000 just for education contributions, with a further £130,000 for transport contributions plus £53,000 of funding for Bolsover Academy for additional places.” Headquartered in Doncaster, Keepmoat Homes is a leading house building company in the UK that provides private homes for sale. With an average selling price of £152,000, 72% of the homes Keepmoat sells are to first time buyers, which puts it at the heart of the UK’s need for more quality housing.

‘Lock up and leave’ properties in London are in increased demand, according to innovative developer be:here. This finding is backed by data from Statista that shows the average person increased its number of holidays abroad from 1.4 in 2016 to 1.7 in 2017. With London’s airports serving such a wide range of destinations, those travelling overseas for both work and pleasure are looking to ensure that their homes remain safe while empty. “Today’s housing schemes have to think carefully about the needs of their residents, particularly as the convenience of international travel means that our modern lifestyle often involves trips overseas, whether for business or pleasure. This is even more true for developments that are within reach of international airports, as easy travel abroad is often a key benefit for those living there,” said Hayley Wills, Area Manager at be:here Hayes. For those looking to prioritise security as a result of leaving their property empty regularly, the new purposely-designed Build to Rent development ‘The Gatefold Building’ from be:here and located in Hayes, 4 miles from Heathrow International Airport, presents a unique opportunity. The development is gated and provides an on-site concierge and management team. Knowing there’s always someone on hand to keep an eye on things is immensely reassuring, particularly in an urban environment as vast as London. Flight crew, for example, have to regularly leave their homes unoccupied whilst at work, so security is a particularly important issue. The lock up and leave benefits of Build to Rent accommodation apply equally to those who travel on business regularly. The benefits of living at the award-winning Gatefold Building include tenancies of up to three years in length, low deposits (just one month’s rent), pet-friendly homes, free super-fast 30 mbps broadband, regular social events and Habitat furnishings. Soon, tenants will also be able to take advantage of on-site Laundry Republic lockers, meaning that they can take care of their dry cleaning from home with ease. The prices for an apartment at The Gatefold Building start at £1,195 pcm for one bedroom and from £1,450 for two bedroom. In addition, every home comes with either a garden or a balcony.

Story Homes, the award-winning housebuilder, has revealed its ‘Home of the Year’, which is a house type that reflects current buying trends and insights. The chosen house type is the four-bedroom detached ‘Taunton’, which features across Story Homes’ developments in Cumbria, the North East and the North West. The reasons behind the property’s popularity with buyers include its external appearance and open, spacious layout. The ‘Taunton’ features four bedrooms, lounge with bay window, hallway with skylight, and open plan kitchen/dining area spanning the width of the house. Bi-fold doors lead to a paved patio and fully turfed rear garden. “All of the homes we design and build are carefully thought out and regularly reviewed to ensure that they are fit for purpose and meet the needs of today’s buyers, yet are still attractive and stylish in their look and feel,” said Andrew Hewson, Head of Group Design at Story Homes. The ‘Taunton’ measures nearly 1,600 sq ft, providing spacious accommodation that has been designed to offer flexibility for all families. By designing a property with four bedrooms, open plan kitchen/dining area rather than a formal dining room, and a traditional exterior appearance combined with contemporary interiors, Story Homes’ team of designers have ensured that this house type meets the requirements of a wide variety of buyers. Recent research from ZPG has shown that ease of maintenance is a key consideration among time-poor buyers, who cited this as the top advantage of new homes, while choosing your own colours and finishes was voted as the third main advantage. Aspects such as the turfed gardens and integrated kitchens in the ‘Taunton’ allow residents to move in without having to carry out any work, and options such as choosing the colour and finish of kitchen cupboards and worktops mean that the interior can be personalised upfront. “The ‘Taunton’ is a great example of how our experts have worked together to create a home that ticks all the boxes. It is consistently a best-seller across our developments and we have a number of ‘Taunton’ show homes, as we know that it is a house type that many people want to look around,” said Andrew. “We are delighted to announce our Home of the Year 2018 and we look forward to sharing ideas and images to show how the space can be used, interior inspiration and real examples of how our customers have made their ‘Taunton’ their own,” he concluded.

Barratt Homes East Scotland have been recognised by the NHBC, the UK’s leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes, for its efforts to make Barratt Homes’ development across Edinburgh and the Lothians – Greenacres – the safest they can be. Greenacres’ site manager Colin Graham led his onsite team to success after they underwent a trio of health and safety inspections over a four-month period, resulting in an NHBC Commended 2018 accolade – awards given to site managers who demonstrate the highest levels of health and safety in every aspect of their work on site. “We are incredibly proud of the achievements of all those working at our Greenacres development. Health and safety is our number one business priority and all the team work incredibly hard and we put a lot of time and effort into making our sites safe for our people and the wider public,” said Alison Condie, Managing Director at Barratt Developments East Scotland. “Our site teams are well trained in health and safety standards, but this award shows just how much we go over and above the call of duty. Our added value is evident in the time we spend sharing our health and safety initiatives with the communities in which we operate. People like Colin right across our business actively engage with local schools to teach children, in close proximity to our developments, about potential hazards on live construction sites,” she added. The NHBC Health and Safety Awards finals will be held at the ICC in Birmingham on the 6th of July. The event will see Colin compete for the Highly Commended Award and the overall National Award. Greenacres is located just off Greendykes road in the South East of the city and offers a selection of two, three and four bedroom houses along with desirable two bedroom apartments. A total of 158 homes will be made available over the coming three years.

A £717k investment to build homes for first-time buyers and affordable rent or shared ownership has been approved by the Sheffield City Region (SCR) Housing Investment Board. So far, £1.23 million in loans and grants has been approved by the SCR Housing Fund, which will see 98 new homes being built in the region. Twenty-five houses and apartments will be aimed at first-time buyers in Mexborough, and 35 affordable homes for rent and shared ownership in Darfield. A grant of £367k was approved in May by the Board for a 35-affordable home scheme to be built by the Together Housing Association at Nanny Marr Road in Darfield. Work is set start on site in September, with the homes ready to move into by December 2020. Meanwhile, the City Region’s Local Growth Funding is providing £350k to develop the Leach Lane, Mexborough site. Essential works include diverting mains drains, clearing undergrowth, and raising the ground level near the canal bank to avoid the risk of flooding. “I am delighted that we have secured funds from the City Region which will allow us to build much needed affordable homes in the village centre of Darfield and bring a derelict site back into use. We have worked closely with the City Region and are grateful they have been able to make a swift decision to ensure additional housing can be delivered,” said Hilary Brady, group head of development at Synergy Housing Solutions Ltd, a member of the Together Housing Group. These two schemes are a follow up of the first project to be approved under the City Region’s £10 million ‘fast track’ housing pilot in March. Work is already underway on site to build 38 affordable flats close to the Park Hill flats in Sheffield with support of £517k from the City Region. “We’re working to complement and plug the gaps in current national housing investment programme, unlock development opportunities and deliver much-needed new homes across the city region,” said Doncaster Mayor, Ros Jones. “One of the main barriers to development across the City Region is challenging site conditions, and both schemes will develop brownfield sites. Both will also be providing new employment and apprenticeships.”

An insightful new video from the timber industry’s campaign Wood for Good shines the spotlight on the growing Build to Rent sector and examines the unique nature of this market. According to the British Property Federation, there are now almost 120,000 Build to Rent units already built, under construction or in planning across the UK; a 30% increase over the last year.  Christiane Lellig, campaign director at Wood for Good said: “Build to Rent is becoming increasingly important in the UK housing market. We teamed up with Build to Rent consultancy LIV Consult and property consultancy Gardiner & Theobald to highlight the growing importance of this sector, to examine some of the opportunities and challenges of this market and also to show how the timber industry can play a central role.” Oliver Booth, partner at property consultancy Gardiner & Theobald, said: “The need for Build to Rent has never been more important. The bottom line is we have an availability of housing crisis in the UK and there are many brave organisations, corporations and institutions stepping up to try and fix that.” Build to Rent developers and investors are in the market for the long haul; choosing higher-end materials such as engineered timber, both within the building’s fabric and the fit and finish that will stand the test of time. Designing for efficiency and specifications that will last long term is a distinct separation from the traditional build for sale market, where cheaper materials and finishes are frequently specified to maximise profits for the developer. Commenting on the unique nature of the Build to Rent market, Ashley Perry, Build to Rent consultancy director at LIV Consult, said: “The Build to Rent market is unique because of its focus on resident experience and efficiency through design, operations and overall long-term use. “Designers and developers have to understand how efficiently the building can operate as that will drive long term income and capital growth for investors.”  Highlighting the pivotal role the timber industry can play, Oliver Booth said: “A major benefit of engineered timber is that it’s fast to construct and that’s good for the Build to Rent model because we need to build quickly. “In addition, organisations want to use timber because it’s such a sustainable product. Those materials that are made and can be disposed of in a sustainable way and that contribute to people’s health and wellbeing, will have a competitive advantage over those that don’t.” Typically, Build to Rent schemes target young professionals, students and downsizers who buy into the lifestyle and convenience of well-built properties with a superior fit and finish, and are close to local amenities.   To view the video click here. To find out more visit www.woodforgood.com