Construction contract rewards remained stable in March following a quarter which had showed a significant increase since the beginning of the year. The value of new contracts was 3% down in February and 1% down on the previous year but remained significantly above the last quarter of 2023, according to analysis from Barbour ABI. Notably, residential contracts were up 60% in February, returning to heights seen in January and were up 62% over the first quarter of the year. Meanwhile, infrastructure fell back to more normal levels following a stellar February but remained 38% up on the same month last year. A new student accommodation facility on Medlock Steet, Manchester will cost £200 million, whilst a new National Grid convertor station at Eastern Green will be built at a cost of £700 million. A new prison at HMP Gartree was also awarded at a cost of £300million. Wates will carry out the work which will commence July 2024. Barbour ABI head of business and client analytics, Ed Griffiths commented:  “When looking across the first quarter of 2024 it has become clear that both the infrastructure and residential sectors have had strong starts to the year as businesses attempt to get projects off the ground, which is a positive signal the construction sector is attempting to emerge from the doldrums of last year. “Interestingly in March, we saw Residential and Infrastructure swapping positions in terms of leading overall contract awards value with £2.4bn and £2bn respectively. Together they are pushing the industry awards upwards.” Elsewhere Healthcare projects were subdued in March following two strong months and Economic conditions continue to stagnate the Hotel and Leisure Sector Applications continue to confound recovery. Planning applications have improved in February after a weak start to the year in January but activity levels in most sectors remain low, highlighting that nervousness remains in the sector to commit to future projects ahead of potential rates cuts and upcoming elections.  Infrastructure has increased 33% since last month and remains strong against its long-term average. However, it has not returned to the highs of the end of last year. Residential applications fell once again from £3.1bn in January to £2.9bn in February. Griffithscontinued: “The enduring story of 2024 so far has been the contradiction between a rise in contracts awarded, sometimes even for projects which have not yet been fully approved, and the continued lack of confidence shown in both in new applications and approvals – which have been contracting since last November. The industry stands at a crossroads where financial and political decisions made at a national level could tip the balance in either direction.” Find out more at https://barbour-abi.com/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The latest industry research by property development appraisal software , APRAO, has revealed that all but one of the big housebuilders has seen a reduction in the volume of land banking plots held on an annual basis.  APRAO analysed the latest annual reports of the seven major UK property developers, looking at total land banking plots held* and how this total compares to the previous year.  The figures show that some 501,691 land bank plots are currently held by the big housebuilders, a reduction of -5.4% on the 530,378 held the previous year.  Barratt Developments has seen the largest decline in the number of plots held within its land bank, down -13% year on year.  Berkeley Group has also seen one of the largest land bank reductions, with total plots falling by -12.3% year on year.  Persimmon has seen the third largest reduction at -5.7%, although with a total of 82,235 plots still held, it does rank as the housebuilder with the second strongest book in this respect.  Redrow (-4.5%), Taylor Wimpey (-3%) and Vistry Group (-1.7%) have also seen a year on year decline in total land bank plots held. In fact, just one housebuilder has seen an increase, albeit a marginal one. Bellway’s land bank currently sits at 98,164 plots, the largest of all the major housebuilders, having seen this total increase by 0.5% year on year.  CEO of APRAO, Daniel Norman, commented: “While 2023 proved to be a particularly tricky one for the UK property market, the overarching expectation was that 2024 would bring a greater degree of market stability and that’s certainly what we’ve seen in recent months. Mortgage approvals are climbing as buyers return to the mix and house prices have also started to improve, driven almost entirely by a buoyant new-build market. It’s clear that the nation’s big housebuilders have acted in anticipation of these improving market conditions, utilising their existing land banks with the aim of delivering additional stock to market in order to help fuel this improving market sentiment.  Of course, with other factors such as higher interest rates still presenting an obstacle, there has been less urgency to refresh land bank stock levels. But with the base rate forecast to fall this year, it’s likely that 2024 will see developers renew their stock pipeline when the time is right.” Sources and data tables Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

It’s no secret that the reputation of new-build housing is increasingly negative among UK residents. They have become synonymous with poor quality, prone to fast wear and tear, and are proving to have less staying power than their older counterparts.  In fact, a 2023 study by the Chartered Institute of Building found that almost a third of people would describe new build housing as ‘poor-quality’, with over half of the respondents believing that older homes are of better quality.  So, what exactly are the reasons behind this belief? Are the answers hidden in the walls, and the construction materials to blame? Or is craftsmanship just no longer as good as it once was?  In this article, the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) explores how the materials used in new builds compare to those used in the Victorian era, and the impact that new homes are having on their residents and the environment.  How have our homes changed since the 19th century?   The houses of today have both obvious similarities and stark differences to those of the 19th century. Homes built in the Victorian era were made using local stone or hand-crafted brick, due to the ease of transportation compared to heavier materials, whereas in present times bricks are mass produced and imported from further distances to keep costs low.  Following the abolishment of the tax on glass and bricks in the 1850s, bricks were cheaper and therefore more commonly used, and timber and glass became the standard for window and door fittings. In addition, the development of the railway allowed materials to be manufactured elsewhere at a lower cost and transported, catalysing their usage.  In the 21st century, housebuilders are more likely to use plastic fittings in construction, for applications such as pipes, seals, windows, doors, floor coverings, cables and insulation, due to the low cost of the material. This is despite growing evidence showing the adverse environmental and health effects of plastics.  As indoor plumbing was limited in the 1800s, less piping was required. Rather than having an indoor bathroom and toilet, most households had outhouses which often used clay pipes to transport sewage. When indoor plumbing became more mainstream, copper was often the material of choice to transport water and heat and remained so until relatively recently. Now, plastic pipes are unfortunately commonplace in households, as well as commercial buildings.  The use of plastics in modern construction is not just limited to plumbing and fittings; they are also used in flooring, kitchen units and insulation. With plastics being used in all areas of the home, the impact on the reduced longevity of modern houses cannot be overlooked. Not only are plastics less durable and deteriorate more quickly than traditional materials like copper, but they also have associated fire risks, given the highly flammable properties in synthetic materials.  The negative effects of the mass production of plastics cannot be understated; plastic pollution creates serious risks, not just to our homes, but to the environment and human health, impacting our quality of life.  What are environmental impacts of new homes?  With evidence showing the low durability of new-build homes, it comes as no surprise that resident turn-over rate is increasing in the 21st century. As people are moving house more often, the environmental impact is greater – notably with waste generation and the carbon consequences of remodelling and additional construction in new homes.  Many residents of new-build houses have quality concerns. Common issues with new builds range from cosmetic defects such as leaning walls to cracks, poor installation of goods, and faulty pointing. With many expecting a smooth experience in their new home, this is more than often not the desired outcome, and many move out after a few years at the end of their warranty period – as it’s often easier to move than handle the required fixes, remodelling and maintenance.  House flipping, defined as a home sold twice within 12 months, is currently seeing a resurgence with flipping accounting for 2.3% of all house sales in 2022, up from 1.9% the previous year. Newly built houses are often chosen as properties for people to flip. Like the initial new build, flipped houses have garnered a negative reputation for being of poor quality, once again increasing the turnover rate.  Meanwhile, Victorian era houses are perceived as durable and high quality, with over a quarter of the British population living in these types of homes. They are often praised for their high ceilings and large windows, which are often overlooked in modern construction to reduce building time and cost.  Thanks to the prominence of hand-crafted bricks in Victorian era housing, the infrastructure of the housing is very strong. This is also due to the traditional building techniques employed, that prioritised longevity and durability. As there was significantly less technology available, builders relied on attention to detail and craftsmanship, unlike modern construction which depends on machinery and may encounter quality control challenges.  Are modern homes built to last?  It’s clear that Victorian era housing is more durable than the homes being built today, with higher quality materials used in construction, built to last a long time. Modern methods prioritise the cost of and duration of construction projects, with a focus on aesthetics over longevity and safety. The average new build home has a lifespan of just 40-60 years.  However, it isn’t all negative – new technologies have allowed construction methods and the appliances in homes to evolve since the Victorian era. New build homes are highly energy efficient in comparison to older homes, thanks to the latest building regulations which ensure a minimum efficiency standard. You also have the flexibility with a new build home to start from scratch – choosing your kitchen, tiling, bathroom and more, to avoid refurbishment costs later down the line.  Despite modern houses offering some incentives, there remain lessons to be learnt from past construction methods, such as using natural materials in place of plastics and synthetics. Many of the natural materials used to build a