A new proposal from a National Assembly Committee might require all new-build housing in Wales to be zero carbon. The Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee found that Wales has the oldest housing stock in Europe and that the pace and scale of delivering energy efficient homes needs to be increased “urgently”. A ten-year low-carbon housing strategy was called by the Committee and it will involve the construction of all new-build homes to zero carbon standards, as well as retrofitting existing housing stock. The strategy also includes: a complimentary planning and building system with low-carbon and energy efficiency at their centres, and supported by rigorous, independent inspection regimes; financial incentives to encourage buyers and owners to buy low-carbon housing and invest in retrofit measures; funding interventions that maximise the impact of Welsh government investment in low-carbon housing; and a fully-trained workforce, ready to construct and improve homes using the latest technologies. The Committee found that the possibility of meeting the Welsh government’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 was “some way off”. “There are many reasons why we should improve the energy efficiency of our housing stock. The most pressing is the need to deliver on legal obligations to eliminate fuel poverty and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases,” said Mike Hedges AM, chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee. “The Welsh Government is required to reduce emissions by 40% by 2018 and by 80% by 2050. Challenging targets need challenging solutions. Reducing the amount of energy we use in our homes will substantially accelerate progress towards these goals. Achieving the targets will require a considerable ramping up of ambition and must span the whole of Wales’ policy levers. We are calling on the Welsh Government to bring forward a ten-year low-carbon housing strategy, including milestones and targets to kick start housing development now and for the future,” explained Mike Hedges.

A two-story building in Brinkburn Street Byker in Newcastle, which has stood empty for almost two years, is to be converted into a new homes development. The building was used as a central design hub by architect Ralph Erskine and his team to coordinate the transformation of the Grade-II listed Byker Wall Estate, which is the reason why the development will be named ‘Ralph Erskine House’. The building will be converted into four two-bedroom apartments by the Byker Community Trust (BCT) housing association, which owns and manages over 1,800 homes on the Estate. BCT, which acquired the building from Newcastle City Council, is investing £393,300 in the housing scheme, expected to be completed by November 2018. An Empty Homes Grant of £120k was also awarded by Homes England to support the initiative. As part of the conversion, BCT is searching for a local artist to take the lead on recreating a mural of Erskine’s visual signature – a hot air balloon – on one of the outside walls of the building. “Walking around Byker you realise that Erskine’s vision was to create something of social worth. He was revolutionary in his time, by basing himself on the Estate to consult with people face to face and ensuring that they were at the heart of his design plans,” said Jill Haley, Chief Executive at Byker Community Trust. “Continuing in the spirit of community involvement, we wish to invite local artists to be a part of an exciting project. We are looking to recreate Erskine’s iconic hot air balloon visual signature on the side of his old office, as a tribute to him. It will be a great opportunity for a local person to make a lasting impression, a gesture that I’m confident Ralph Erskine would have liked,” Jill added. Originally built as a funeral parlour in the 1900s, the building was converted into an office in 1969 to facilitate redevelopment of the Byker Estate. The office acted as main focal point between Newcastle City Council, the Byker community and Erskine’s design team.  

A further 700 new homes are being planned for the 170-acre Skelton Gate site within the Leeds Aire Valley, taking the total number of homes being built to 1,800. Templegate Developments Limited, the joint venture partnership of Evans Property Group and Keyland Developments, has submitted this planning application to Leeds City Council. The project first received permission in November 2017 for the creation of a new mixed-use sustainable community that included up to 1,100 new homes, a primary and secondary school, public open space, a local centre and a convenience store, as well as associated infrastructure. Following Leeds City Council’s Full Council approving the adoption of the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan (AVLAAP), land at Skelton Gate was allocated for a further 700 dwellings. “The provision of 1,801 dwellings, rather than 1,100 dwellings, on the site would make a real difference to securing the long-term provision of the necessary physical and social infrastructure to support the development of the site,” said the AVLAAP Final Inspector’s Report. For example, the more homes in the area, the more people would live there; therefore the provision of a viable bus link to the city centre becomes far more likely to be sustainable in the long run. Additional people living on the site also means the support of education facilities, including a through-school, and a local centre incorporating a retail element, as well as other types of social and green infrastructure. Moreover, Templegate Developments Limited will be transferring its interests in those parts of Skelton Lake within the site to Leeds City Council, in order for the Council to create a new nature reserve. “The recent allocations under the AAP and this subsequent application for additional homes at Skelton Gate is the culmination of this collaborative working and will further the major investment proposals by Templegate Developments in this significant regeneration scheme,” concluded James Pitt, development director at Evans Property Group.

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.