Clowes Developments have appointed Derbyshire based estate agent Boxall Brown & Jones to market Riber View Apartments in Matlock. Since constructing the 47 luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 450 to 765 square feet, Clowes have successfully sold or let a number of apartments. The group have
Persimmon Homes Wessex has submitted plans for the third phase of the Jubilee Gardens development that would trigger construction on the next 193 high-quality homes if approved by Wiltshire Council. The phase would involve a mixture of properties from the five-star developer and its sister company, Charles Church, and approval
NEWLY re-elected Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has made tackling the housing crisis a top priority for his third term. Today he unveils measures to increase the amount of social housing in the city-region, improve the standard of rented accommodation and end the housing crisis in Greater Manchester by
London Councils has welcomed a new report from a cross-party parliamentary committee pointing to serious financial pressures on the social housing sector. A London Councils spokesperson said: “Without more government investment it is hard to see anything but a bleak future for social housing. “Our analysis shows London boroughs face
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced yesterday that it has handed councils new powers to buy cheaper land in a bid to support the delivery of more social and affordable housing. The change came into force on 30 April and allows councils to buy land for
Huge retrofit opportunity as decarbonisation drive launches nationwide SCOTTISH businesses are being urged to put their names forward to secure a spot on a new major framework worth up to £120m over four years to support the delivery of crucial retrofitting and decarbonisation works and services. The new retrofit and
Propertymark, the leading membership body for property agents has written to London Mayor candidates highlighting proposals to tackle the unique housing challenges that the capital experiences. Londoners go to the polls on Thursday 2 May 2024 to elect a Mayor and 25 Assembly Members, with housing policies featuring in most
New market analysis by peer-to-peer real estate investment platform, easyMoney, reveals that while the British housing market is likely to remain somewhat muted in 2024 with respect to house price growth, there are a number of local areas where prices are expected to climb with gusto, with 10 areas of
Ground-breaking data analysis by socio-economic experts at Marrons has revealed areas of opportunity for development across England and highlighted the positive impact of specialist and affordable homes as part of a functioning housing market, much of which can be facilitated through market-led development at scale. Utilising the latest ONS Census
Eric Wright Construction has commenced work on a new £20 million apartment scheme in Manchester city centre. The new nine-storey residential development, at Laystall Street just off Great Ancoats Street, is being delivered for client Great Places Housing Group and is part-funded by Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s
Clowes Developments have appointed Derbyshire based estate agent Boxall Brown & Jones to market Riber View Apartments in Matlock. Since constructing the 47 luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 450 to 765 square feet, Clowes have successfully sold or let a number of apartments. The group have engaged Boxall Brown & Jones to market the remaining properties. Boxall Brown & Jones were appointed based on their reputation within the Derby and surrounding areas as a leading residential estate agent. Established in 1989, Boxall Brown & Jones are an independent firm of Chartered Valuation Surveyors and Estate Agents offering the very highest standards in residential property sales, lettings and surveying. Based in the historic city of Derby, with a north Derbyshire office in Belper, they are proud to be leading residential Estate Agents committed to delivering the highest level of customer service. The experienced team provide a wealth of knowledge and local expertise. Boxall Brown & Jones are members of and regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the National Association of Estate Agents and are part of the Ombudsman scheme for Estate Agents to assure full consumer protection for their clients. Initially there will be a limited number of apartments listed on the popular residential property website, Rightmove, with properties being viewed on an ‘appointment only’ basis. The apartments are ideal for first time buyers eager to get onto the property ladder, downsizers looking to scale back their living arrangements in a great location at the heart of Matlock and young professionals who want to live in the Peak District but commute to cities such as Derby, Nottingham or Sheffield. The apartments also provide an idyllic location for second or holiday homes. Jo Hutchinson and Anthony Lomas, Partners at Boxall Brown & Jones estate agents will be leading the sales team on behalf of Clowes Developments, Jo commented: “We are delighted to be appointed to market the Riber View Apartments in Matlock. We believe the scheme offers an amazing opportunity for buyers to purchase high quality spacious apartments, in an unrivalled location, close to the heart of Matlock and within easy reach of the Peak District.” The first tranche of apartments will be available to view from Saturday 1st June at an exclusive open day organised by Boxall Brown and Jones. To book an appointment, interested parties are invited to contact Jo Hutchinson at the Belper office on 01773 880788 or j.hutchinson@boxallbrownandjones.co.uk, or Anthony Lomas in the Derby office on 01332 553838 or a.lomas@boxallbrownandjones.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Persimmon Homes Wessex has submitted plans for the third phase of the Jubilee Gardens development that would trigger construction on the next 193 high-quality homes if approved by Wiltshire Council. The phase would involve a mixture of properties from the five-star developer and its sister company, Charles Church, and approval would mean 58 of these would be designated for a local housing provider, helping put a dent in Wiltshire’s 4,300-strong housing waiting list. The application delivers on the continued extension of the Linear Park, including active travel links and a play area. It will also complete the full length of the central spine road, connecting the previously approved sections from the two new junctions. As part of the wider development, Persimmon will invest millions of pounds in the local vicinity as the housebuilder delivers a sustainable community for local people. This will include land for a new primary school, significant areas of open space including a riverside park, equipped children’s play areas, two areas of sports pitches and associated changing rooms. A local centre, allotments, public art, employment land, improvements to public footpaths, new pedestrian and cycle routes, biodiversity enhancements and a dedicated ecology area will also be delivered at Jubilee Gardens. Significant financial contributions will also be made towards education provision, bus services connecting the scheme with town centre, signal upgrades to improve vehicle movements in the town centre, health care in Warminster, and enhancements to local public rights of way. A sizeable financial contribution will also be made by the housebuilder to provide funding for local infrastructure priorities – the Victoria Road roundabout is now complete and work is commencing this month on the access from Bath Road. The application follows a visit from the board of Selwood Housing, a local housing association partner, to the site – where Persimmon has already transferred properties to them as part of its plans – to see how their high-quality homes are built. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
NEWLY re-elected Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has made tackling the housing crisis a top priority for his third term. Today he unveils measures to increase the amount of social housing in the city-region, improve the standard of rented accommodation and end the housing crisis in Greater Manchester by 2038. The Mayor’s announcements include: The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Greater Manchester can’t achieve its full potential as long as it remains in the grip of a housing crisis. That is why I am setting a new ambition for the city-region to end it within a decade. “Ten thousand new council homes will help to do that as long as stock can be retained. That’s why we’re calling for the suspension of Right to Buy. “Everyone deserves to live in a good, safe home and by building new council homes, and suspending the Right to Buy on them, we can give our councils the breathing space they desperately need to replenish their stock, so that all of those waiting in temporary accommodation or on the housing registers have the chance to access good homes.” Access to social housing is essential to many residents in Greater Manchester, as capped rent increases provide some protection to tenants against the soaring rents seen in the private rented sector. The average rental price of a two-bed property in Manchester increased by 12.5% between February 2023-24, against an England average of 8.9%. Limiting access to affordable social housing can therefore help fuel a rise in housing insecurity, homelessness, and families in temporary accommodation. The new ‘Housing First’ approach aims to address the main challenges for housing in Greater Manchester – poor living standards, especially in the private rented sector and low availability of truly-affordable housing – by implementing a collaborative, multi-agency approach that can address issues by developing tailored, whole-system solutions. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
London Councils has welcomed a new report from a cross-party parliamentary committee pointing to serious financial pressures on the social housing sector. A London Councils spokesperson said: “Without more government investment it is hard to see anything but a bleak future for social housing. “Our analysis shows London boroughs face a black hole of £700m in their social housing budgets over the next four years, despite the desperate need to improve housing conditions and build new homes in the capital. With resources massively squeezed, it feels like we’ve been left with mission impossible. “Social housing is crucial to tackling London’s homelessness crisis. It’s a vital component of the capital’s social and economic success, and we should all want the sector to thrive. Boroughs are as keen as ever to work with ministers in ensuring more resources are secured for boosting social housing in London and across the country.” London is grappling with the most severe homelessness crisis in the country and over 320,000 London households are on social housing waiting lists. London Councils estimates that one in 50 Londoners are homeless and living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough. Boroughs are determined to keep increasing delivery of new affordable homes in the capital, including social housing, but high construction costs and interest rates have led to many projects becoming unviable without additional funding. In March, London Councils revealed a £700m pressure on boroughs’ housing revenue accounts (their budgets for managing social housing stock). This is due to costs significantly outpacing the income boroughs can expect from social rent levels, which are set nationally by the government and have led to a substantial real-terms reduction in funding available for social housing. The decision in the last Budget to remove councils’ ability to retain 100% of receipts from Right to Buy has further squeezed funding at a time when both need and costs are growing. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced yesterday that it has handed councils new powers to buy cheaper land in a bid to support the delivery of more social and affordable housing. The change came into force on 30 April and allows councils to buy land for development through compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) which removes ‘hope value’ costs. The intention is to make it cheaper and easier for local authorities to buy and transform land and to enables local authorities to build much-needed homes more quickly. Lawrence Turner, Director, Boyer considers whether the initiative will achieve this: “This may seem beneficial at first glance – giving local authorities the ability to overcome financial and viability barriers to delivering housing. “But my concern is that it will be ineffective and time-consuming, CPO is a lengthy and costly process, and many local authorities will lack the resources to do so. “The CPO process frequently involves negotiations with multiple landowners, legal challenges, and delays. Landowners may choose to challenge the decision through judicial review, further prolonging the process. As such, it is far from the quick and efficient means of unlocking land for new development which is needed. “Even if effective, CPOs are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to delivering new homes. “The wider planning system in the UK is excruciatingly slow and bureaucratic, with Local Plans and planning applications often taking years to complete and the intrinsic problems that have led to this situation must also be addressed. “We need to see a more holistic approach to addressing the housing crisis: including reforming the planning system and providing support to councils, reviewing the Green Belt and delivering new homes in sustainable brown and greenfield locations will be necessary to truly make a meaningful impact on the availability of affordable housing in the UK.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Huge retrofit opportunity as decarbonisation drive launches nationwide SCOTTISH businesses are being urged to put their names forward to secure a spot on a new major framework worth up to £120m over four years to support the delivery of crucial retrofitting and decarbonisation works and services. The new retrofit and decarbonisation framework extends beyond public buildings, encompassing both domestic and non-domestic requirements. This offers a significant opportunity for businesses of all sizes, particularly encouraging smaller firms to tender for these vital works. Known as N9, the Scottish Procurement Alliance says the new framework is designed to foster inclusivity and flexibility, particularly benefiting micro and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This approach ensures that organisations of various sizes have tailored opportunities within the framework to access works and services. Lesley Anderson, Regional Director at the Scottish Procurement Alliance, Scotland’s largest, free-to-join procurement organisation, said: “This framework is a brilliant opportunity for businesses of all sizes working in energy consultancy, insulation, HVAC, building controls, EV charging and infrastructure and other renewable technologies to support the nationwide upgrade effort at a crucial time. “N9 will provide comprehensive energy efficiency and decarbonisation support tailored to the unique needs of public sector organisations across Scotland. “This includes everything from outlining energy policies to implementing insulation works and building management and metering systems. “We’re committed to fairness and transparency, and with N9, we’ve particularly aimed to empower small businesses by reserving exclusive spots for them. This not only levels the playing field but also opens up opportunities for smaller companies, that may have previously been out of reach.” SPA has upgraded the N9 framework to include new support features such as consulting for PAS legislation as well as value bands in three ranges – up to £750,000, between £750,000 and £2.5 million, and over £2.5 million, along with guidance on energy policies. The framework features six workstreams covering consultancy, multi-disciplinary works, building insulations and performance, heating and ventilation systems, control and management systems and solar PV and EV charging. Places have been reserved specifically for micro and small businesses within various lots. Lesley added: “We’ve significantly enhanced N9, revamping its structure and expanding our HVAC services to include options like district and network heating. “These updates align with the broader clean heat and decarbonisation agenda, incorporating elements from the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill and the Heat in Buildings Strategy. “As with any changes these were made through wide-ranging and deep consultation with suppliers and partners to ensure that we are offering the best value for money and addressing industry needs head-on.” SPA works with 120+ partners across the public sector, including small cooperatives, RSLs, and local authorities, and partners with over 250 suppliers ranging from micro companies to national firms all capable of providing crucial support services. As a not-for-profit organisation, SPA directs its surpluses to local communities through the Community Benefit Fund (CBF) in partnership with Lintel Trust. SPA currently has over 500 live projects valued at over £1 billion, supporting 260+ suppliers. Since its inception in 2017, the CBF has distributed more than £2 million in grants and match funding to assist over 102 community groups, charities, and various causes, generating a social value exceeding £5.1 million. Companies meeting the relevant criteria can apply via the Scottish Procurement Alliance website: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/lhc/aspx/ProjectManage/18 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Propertymark, the leading membership body for property agents has written to London Mayor candidates highlighting proposals to tackle the unique housing challenges that the capital experiences. Londoners go to the polls on Thursday 2 May 2024 to elect a Mayor and 25 Assembly Members, with housing policies featuring in most candidates manifesto pledges. Propertymark’s plan includes expanding the Mayor’s Energy for Londoners programme to support landlords and homeowners to decarbonise their properties, releasing land held by public bodies for housing development, encouraging the capital’s employers to support workers housing needs and tackling short-term lets thorough greater enforcement. The professional body’s plan for London welcomes candidate pledges for an increase in affordable social housing. However, Propertymark recognise that demand for private rented sector accommodation is not keeping up with supply and more must be done by the Mayor to incentivise landlords – with rent controls must albe avoided. To boost the supply of new homes there must be a greater focus on speeding up planning process and building on land under the Mayor’s control. This will ultimately allow more properties to be built and help make housing in London more affordable. The Greater London Authority, Transport for London and the National Health Service should also release land for residential development and ensure that any development works alongside local needs – including provision for families and older people. Propertymark has also called for the successful Mayor to have greater devolutionary powers to tackle the challenges that the Capital faces. Commenting, Propertymark’s Policy and Campaigns Officer, Tim Thomas, said: “With a population of over nine million, the highest house sales and rental values in the country and challenges with the supply of all housing tenures, the next Mayor of London needs to use all powers at their disposal to tackle problems the Capital faces. London is facing a housing crisis and more must be done to boost supply across all tenures, work with councils to deliver more homes more quickly, utilise land under the Mayor’s control and provide more support to existing homeowners and landlords to make energy efficiency improvements to their property.” For further details, please click HERE Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New market analysis by peer-to-peer real estate investment platform, easyMoney, reveals that while the British housing market is likely to remain somewhat muted in 2024 with respect to house price growth, there are a number of local areas where prices are expected to climb with gusto, with 10 areas of the nation on track for growth of more than 14% by the end of 2024. easyMoney analysed the recent performance of the British housing market based on the latest available Land Registry data*, calculating the average monthly rate of growth seen since interest rates were held at 5.25% in September of last year. easyMoney then used this average monthly change to forecast how the market could perform over the remainder of the year, with homebuyers yet to see a reduction in interest rates materialise this year. National picture The analysis shows that since the base rate was held at 5.25% for the first time in September 2023, the average house price across Britain has declined at an average rate of -0.3% per month. If this trend continues through to the end of the year, the average house price in Britain could fall by -2.6%, or -£7,501, from £283,428 today to £275,927 in December 2024. Just two regions forecast for positive growth A regional analysis reveals that only two regions of Britain are expected to see positive price growth by December. In the North West, the past six months has seen average monthly price growth of +0.4%. If this continues through to the end of the year, prices will grow by +4.3%reaching a regional average price of £330,593. Meanwhile, the North East has seen prices grow by a monthly average of +0.2% over the last six months. If this continues through to December 2024, prices will increase by +2.4% to reach an average of £164,235. Prices in all other regions are predicted to fall, with the West Midlands (-7.8%), London (-6.8%), and Yorkshire & Humber (-6.3%) experiencing the biggest drops. These forecasts from easyMoney mirror the wider industry consensus that the British housing market will remain somewhat subdued in 2024. 10 local authorities forecast for growth of 14%+ However, further analysis by easyMoney at local authority level* has revealed that some of Britain’s local markets could be destined to buck the national trend, with 10 locations forecast for growth in excess of +14%. Over the past six months, house prices in Derbyshire’s Amber Valley district have increased by 2.4% per month, putting the area on track for growth of +26.5% by the end of the year. Darlington has seen an average monthly rate of growth of 2.1% since interest rates were held, suggesting house prices in the area could climb by a further +23.7% by the end of this year. Also set for +14% price growth or more are Torfaen (+18.8%), West Devon (+16.6%), Babergh (+15.7%), Rossendale (+14.8%), North West Leicestershire (+14.8%), Greenwich (+14.5%), Hackney (+14.2%), and Chorley (+14%). The Analysis by easyMoney also shows that a further 102 local authorities could see positive house price movement in 2024. Jason Ferrando, CEO of easyMoney says: “After such consistent upward growth, followed by a period of stagnation, it looks to be a far more settled year for the housing market, with property values expected to remain largely flat in 2024. “But as is so often the case, you can’t judge a market by its topline statistics. Instead you have to dive down into the local market data to discover that price performance in certain parts of Britain could be far from flat as we move through the year. “For anyone who is looking to invest in property this year, it’s useful to know which parts of the country are bucking the national trend. Although it can be far less time consuming to opt for an investment vehicle where market experts have already done the hard work in identifying these up and coming investment hotspots.” Data tables and sources Full data tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ground-breaking data analysis by socio-economic experts at Marrons has revealed areas of opportunity for development across England and highlighted the positive impact of specialist and affordable homes as part of a functioning housing market, much of which can be facilitated through market-led development at scale. Utilising the latest ONS Census data (2021) and 2018-based population projections, planning, design and development consultancy Marrons has painted a clear picture of England’s housing need in 2040 in its latest report. Supplementing this is data from local authority housing registers, social housing stock records and extrapolated housing requirement figures using the government’s standard method. Dan Usher, economics director at Marrons, who specialises in housing need evidence, said: “England is poised for significant demographic change over the next two decades, bringing forth new challenges and opportunities in the housing sector. Already, the country has been named as the most difficult place to find a home in the developed world[i], and our ageing population and rising property prices will only exacerbate the problem. “We are nowhere near meeting the government’s minimum housing need of 300,000 properties a year – the average is 215,000 over the past decade – so parliament’s response to its own target is grossly inadequate. However, the obsession with the number is meaningless if hitting targets is prioritised over and above the needs of local populations. “A national housing policy – supported by a proper approach to regeneration, systematic review of green belt and an in-depth understanding of the socio-economic needs of a location – will highlight areas of opportunity and meaningful change. Without this, we will see no movement in the market or developments that do not serve the population’s needs, placing the housing crisis in gridlock.” Regionally, the South East leads the way in housing need outside of Greater London, with demand for more than 950,000 homes by 2040, according to the government’s minimum housing need, which is calculated using the standard method. In contrast, the North East demands the least, with a requirement of 112,388 properties. While the first-time buyer demographic (aged 25-44) is anticipated to decline nationally by 1.6%, this group will make up 30% of adults in England by 2040. Yorkshire and the Humber (10%), the West Midlands (7%) and the South West (1%) will buck the trend with positive growth among this age group. Dan said: “Despite a national decline in numbers, this demographic remains a hugely important segment of the housing market. The first-time buyers of 2040 are teenagers and young adults living with their parents today, so they will be completely new entrants to the housing market. “The consequences of not adequately providing for this segment of the housing market are considerable and will result in many young people moving back into the family home, with delays to household formation and fertility rates in younger adults directly impacted.” The latest figures show that only 16% of the 295,197 social rent[ii] properties owned by local authorities and registered providers that were sold or demolished nationally between 2015/16 and 2021/22 have been replaced. If this continues at its current level, it will result in a net loss of 385,887 homes by 2040. Dan said: “England is losing social housing much faster than it is being built and the losses are mounting up – in fact, according to housing and homelessness charity Shelter, social housebuilding in England being at its lowest rate in decades. Demand is continually outstripping supply, leaving the poorest households with no choice but to enter unaffordable private tenancies – putting them at risk of homelessness. “This deficit is at the heart of this country’s housing emergency, presenting an opportunity for developers and social housing providers to bring projects forward. Helping to build the case for the scheme’s need in order to influence and convince local authorities it needs to be approved is essential, and it is important decision-makers take the crisis seriously. “It is clear we need lots of market housing, but we also need to go beyond this and provide a mix of housing types of tenures. Specialist properties, such as affordable and later living, could be the key to unlocking issues for local authorities if we properly understand the local population now and in the future.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Eric Wright Construction has commenced work on a new £20 million apartment scheme in Manchester city centre. The new nine-storey residential development, at Laystall Street just off Great Ancoats Street, is being delivered for client Great Places Housing Group and is part-funded by Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund. The new scheme will provide 89 one and two-bed apartments available for Rent to Buy and Social Rent. The development is the second project to commence work at the site following Manchester-based developer, McCauls’ transformation of the Grade II-listed Armitage Showroom into 5,000 sq. ft of high-quality office space. McCauls are also planning to create a small residential element adjacent designed by OMI Architects, on the corner of Laystall Street and Pigeon Street. Nick Gornall, Director of Development at Great Places, said: “We’re delighted to be starting work at Laystall Street which will provide much-needed affordable accommodation in central Manchester.” “Laystall Street is an excellent location, and we look forward to working together again with Eric Wright to deliver its transformation. The project will breathe new life into this part of the city centre and reinforces our continued commitment to the delivery of affordable homes across Manchester.” Jeremy Hartley, Chief Executive Officer at Eric Wright Group, added: “Our Laystall Street project with Great Places builds on our successful collaboration at Ancoats Dispensary and we are looking forward to partnering with them again. Our construction team is committed to delivering excellence, and we look forward to seeing this development bring more high quality, affordable housing to the community in this part of Manchester. “As with Ancoats Dispensary, we will again be creating jobs, working with the local supply chain and offering work experience opportunities and apprenticeships.” Work is expected to be completed in early 2026. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
