Thousands of homes are to be made warmer and more energy efficient as part of an £80m investment secured by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. £31.8m will come from the Warm Homes: Local Grant fund and will be distributed to low-income homeowners and private renters. The funding was secured
In partnership with Knowsley Council and procurement specialist Fusion21, Bloor Homes has smashed its social value targets at its Elowen Garden Village development in Halsnead Garden Village, as part of the council’s planning obligations. Fusion21 has been working with Knowsley Council using its Social Value Through Planning initiative to support
CBRE Warns of Challenges of Building Safety Act on New Development CBRE has reported an excellent start to 2025 in the Build-to-Rent (BTR) market in the North with three forward funding deals totaling £420M transacting in just two weeks across Manchester and Leeds. However, the firm’s northern sector lead warns
Specialist real estate lender Pivot has successfully completed a funding package comprised of three loans for a residential development in Denby Dale, West Yorkshire. The £6.5m facility is uniquely structured to encompass three distinct loan types within a single transaction—a development exit bridge, part-complete development loan, and ground-up development facility.
Property management and financial platform Lendlord has unveiled a dedicated news hub to help landlords navigate the Renters’ Rights Bill 2025—one of the most significant rental sector reforms in over 30 years. The hub provides structured, up-to-date information on key legislative changes, addressing common concerns and offering expert insights into
“We are delighted to have been awarded a provisional funding allocation of £12.3 million from the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 and look forward to collaborating with colleagues from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in the coming weeks to launch this vital project. Over the
The future of decarbonised home heating is upon us and is already being rolled out across the UK with some of the country’s largest housebuilders – with the latest housing development benefiting from the solution ‘going live’ in recent weeks. The Community Heat Hub (CHH), one of GTC’s Future Homes
VIVID has been offered £14.35 million from the government’s Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH: SHF) to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. This provisional allocation of funding supports the aim for all homes to be warm and affordable. This means making sure each home is energy-efficient, which helps
Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, has appointed JJ Rhatigan as the principal contractor to build 296 new homes at the Twyford Abbey development in Ealing. The project will include 50% affordable housing and the restoration of a Grade II-listed walled garden for community use. JJ Rhatigan will
Global real estate firm Avison Young UK has been appointed by the University of Kent as a strategic advisor to bring its Northern Land Holdings in Canterbury to market. Spanning 97 hectares (240 acres) the site has the potential to deliver around 2,000 new homes, commercial uses and supporting social
Thousands of homes are to be made warmer and more energy efficient as part of an £80m investment secured by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. £31.8m will come from the Warm Homes: Local Grant fund and will be distributed to low-income homeowners and private renters. The funding was secured by a Combined Authority-led consortium of Liverpool City Region’s six local authorities – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral – and was the third highest award in England. A further £48m has been secured through the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund which will be distributed among 24 housing associations operating in the city region and the wider north west. The award was the fourth highest in England and work is expected to start in the summer. The investment – which will enable energy-efficiency improvements to around 10,000 homes – is part of a five-year carbon action plan to make the city region net zero by 2035. It comes on top of £105m already secured by the Combined Authority to retrofit 10,000 homes with energy-efficiency upgrades including wall and loft insulation, new roofs, solar panels, heat pumps and ventilation. Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said: “Too many families are still forced to choose between heating and eating – and that’s simply not right. This investment from government is a welcome step towards fixing that, with more than £31m going to low-income households in our region and another £48m to support social housing residents. “Here in the Liverpool City Region, we’ve already invested over £100m to improve the energy efficiency of more than 10,000 homes – cutting bills, reducing carbon emissions, and tackling fuel poverty. This latest funding builds on that progress, helping even more people stay warm for less. And I’ll keep working with government to make sure our region gets the investment it needs, so no one is left behind.” Households with an energy inefficient home (Energy Performance Certificate Band D or below) and living in certain postcodes will be automatically eligible for the local grant scheme. Grants can also be accessed by households with an annual income of less than £36,000, who own their own home or for certain privately rented properties. Cllr Graham Morgan, Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, said: “More than half of our region’s 720,000 homes are rated below the EPC band C standard, which makes them less efficient and more expensive to heat. We’ve secured this latest funding thanks to our track record of working with government and partners to deliver large scale retrofit projects. This significant investment means that thousands of local people will pay less to heat their homes in future.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In partnership with Knowsley Council and procurement specialist Fusion21, Bloor Homes has smashed its social value targets at its Elowen Garden Village development in Halsnead Garden Village, as part of the council’s planning obligations. Fusion21 has been working with Knowsley Council using its Social Value Through Planning initiative to support the delivery and monitoring of social value throughout the construction phase of the development. The collaboration between Bloor Homes, Fusion21, and Knowsley Council has delivered a range of positive outcomes for the community, achieving three headline social value outcomes in the local area including: The 11 employment opportunities created are helping to fill key roles at Elowen Garden Village as part of the Halsnead Garden Village development, including a local National House Building Council (NHBC) inspector, ceramic tiler, groundworker, joiner, sales advisor, and six bricklayers. This has achieved the social value aim of increasing the amount of Knowsley residents working on-site at the Bloor Homes development. What’s more, two local young people who started as apprentices on the development have now been hired as full-time bricklayers. A primary focus of this collaboration was to create more opportunities for local residents that will lead to quality full-time employment. Sarah Maguire, Head of Social Value at Fusion21 said: “At Fusion21, we work with local authorities and developers to ensure construction projects create meaningful, sustainable, and long-term benefits for communities. “Through this partnership, Bloor Homes has provided jobs, apprenticeships, and opportunities that will have a lasting impact on local people and businesses in Knowsley. This is exactly the kind of positive change Knowsley Council champions through its Social Value Framework.” James Clark, Managing Director at Bloor Homes’ North West region, said: “We are proud to have exceeded our social value targets in Knowsley, and it has been very rewarding to welcome so many local people and businesses into our team at Elowen Garden Village. We will be continuing our work experience scheme into 2025 and look forward to welcoming more young people to learn about the high standards of building we have at Bloor Homes.” Cllr Tony Brennan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic, said: “Construction of new housing at Halsnead Garden Village is not only creating much needed new homes it is also providing employment and apprenticeships for Knowsley residents and creating supply chain contracts for Knowsley businesses. Additionally, the employment site to the south of the M62 will deliver around 1,000 new jobs. “Halsnead Garden Village is the largest combined housing and employment development in the City Region and will provide a significant boost to the local economy.” Part of the wider Halsnead Garden Village development, Bloor Homes’ Elowen Garden Village development includes a range of three and four-bedroom homes located on Windy Arbor Road, with a sales centre open daily from 10am – 5pm. For more information about Bloor Homes’ developments in the North West, visit bloorhomes.com To find out more about Knowsley Council’s Social Value framework, visit www.knowsley.gov.uk To find out more about how to unlock the potential of social value through planning visit www.fusion21.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
CBRE Warns of Challenges of Building Safety Act on New Development CBRE has reported an excellent start to 2025 in the Build-to-Rent (BTR) market in the North with three forward funding deals totaling £420M transacting in just two weeks across Manchester and Leeds. However, the firm’s northern sector lead warns that the Building Safety Act (BSA) is a major challenge; impacting transactions and ultimately new homes delivery, representing the single biggest barrier to building in city centres. The two stand out deals to complete in recent weeks include the acquisition of the 51-storey, 494 apartment development in Renaker’s New Jackson area of Deansgate, Manchester by a partnership between L&G, Nest and PGGM. Known as F1, the development is currently underway. In Leeds, Property investment management firm Barings agreed the £152M forward funding deal with Glenbrook for a 600 apartment mixed-use scheme at Kirkstall Road in Leeds. The commonality between these two forward funding deals is that they were both already implemented ahead of the new Building Safety Act Gateway 2 regime, which affects the construction of higher-risk and large-scale buildings. Head of Residential Investment, North at CBRE, Tom Sinclair (pictured), explains; “With BSA compliance now being mandatory for developers and building owners, and whilst the construction sector adjusts, there are significant challenges ahead. All projects must now navigate three critical safety gateway check points, meaning that approval is required at the planning stage, before building work can commence and before a building can be certified complete and occupied. “The two significant transactions we have concluded in recent weeks were already implemented before the Act came into force and as a result we will see the delivery of much-needed new homes in Leeds and Manchester. Whilst many viability constraints on funding deals can be overcome with creative solutions, the Gateway 2 approval may have a major cost and time impact on future strategic funding deals of this scale, due to lengthy delays being imposed by going through the system. This will further compound challenges in the market, restricting delivery of new homes.” Sinclair continues; “For schemes that can successfully navigate the Gateway process, we are seeing proven investor demand for Build to Rent developments in all regional markets. Indeed, the contraction in anticipated supply of new developments and consequential lack of new rental options is anticipated to drive strong occupational demand and investment performance. In the meantime, we are working with Developers across the region to optimise funding structures that mitigate the impact of the BSA regulations and present developments in a manner that work for both Investors and Developers to enable new forward funding agreements and seed the delivery of new homes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Specialist real estate lender Pivot has successfully completed a funding package comprised of three loans for a residential development in Denby Dale, West Yorkshire. The £6.5m facility is uniquely structured to encompass three distinct loan types within a single transaction—a development exit bridge, part-complete development loan, and ground-up development facility. This innovative funding solution enables the borrower to refinance an existing lender, support the completion of partially built units, and provide capital for the new construction of a 34-home residential development. The case was introduced by a broker who chose Pivot because of its ability to structure the deal as three transactions across the different loan types to maximise leverage and consider the varying stages the site was in. The funding package was structured as follows: This holistic approach ensures that the borrower can efficiently manage sales, complete construction phases, and maintain momentum in delivering high-quality homes. The lender has cultivated a reputation for deal structuring that considers the true SME developer experience—several of the Pivot team have built and sold properties and have a genuine understanding of the inherent opportunities and pitfalls that come with the job. Andreas Yianni, Commercial Director at Pivot Finance, said: “This transaction highlights our ability to shape funding solutions that address multiple stages of a development in one seamless package. “By incorporating a blend of development exit, part-complete, and ground-up funding, we have provided the borrower with a flexible and strategic solution to support their project through to completion. “It’s a great example of how we tailor our lending to meet the real-world needs of developers.” Pivot has enjoyed an incredible start to the year with as raft of new hires, increased funding capacity, and a vocal commitment to supporting ambitious SME developers who need reliable bridging and development finance to bring forward their sites. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Property management and financial platform Lendlord has unveiled a dedicated news hub to help landlords navigate the Renters’ Rights Bill 2025—one of the most significant rental sector reforms in over 30 years. The hub provides structured, up-to-date information on key legislative changes, addressing common concerns and offering expert insights into the evolving regulatory landscape. Updated weekly, it ensures landlords stay informed about government announcements, compliance requirements, and the bill’s implementation timeline. Key topics covered include: Lendlord’s research suggests that the UK rental market is expected to stabilise with an 11% growth rate post-reform, with landlords adapting to changes between July and October 2025. While compliance costs may rise, properties meeting the new standards could benefit from higher rental yields and increased tenant demand. Aviram Shahar, Co-founder and CEO of Lendlord, commented:“The private rental sector is undergoing a major transformation, and the Renters’ Rights Bill 2025 brings both opportunities and challenges. Compliance will be crucial to long-term success, and landlords need reliable insights to stay ahead. That’s why we keep our news hub updated in real time—providing expert analysis and the latest data to help landlords make informed decisions.” The Lendlord Renters’ Rights Bill 2025 News Hub is freely accessible to landlords, brokers, and property professionals. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
“We are delighted to have been awarded a provisional funding allocation of £12.3 million from the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 and look forward to collaborating with colleagues from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in the coming weeks to launch this vital project. Over the next three years, this initiative will retrofit hundreds of homes for older people, improving the properties’ energy efficiency to an EPC band C, while enhancing comfort and affordability for our residents. This project builds upon the success of our previous work with the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1, delivered in partnership with our Greener Futures Partnership colleagues. We are eager to continue working alongside our peers, supply chain partners, and, most importantly, our residents, to create warmer, lower-carbon homes nationwide. We look forward to sharing further details with colleagues, residents, and stakeholders as the project details are finalised.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The future of decarbonised home heating is upon us and is already being rolled out across the UK with some of the country’s largest housebuilders – with the latest housing development benefiting from the solution ‘going live’ in recent weeks. The Community Heat Hub (CHH), one of GTC’s Future Homes Standard-compliant heat network solutions, is now delivering low-carbon heat at The Gateway in Bexhill, Sussex, a vibrant housing development being delivered by Vistry Group, the UK’s leading provider of affordable mixed-tenure homes. GTC has been the chosen utility partner for housebuilders and developers across the UK for almost 30 years, delivering pioneering multi-utility infrastructure solutions to all types of new-build developments. The Community Heat Hub is one of GTC’s low carbon heat network solutions that answers the Future Homes Standard by reducing carbon emissions by 75-80% from day one, combing the two FHS notional specifications of heat pumps and heat networks in one future-proofed, net zero solution. Vistry contracted GTC to deliver heat via its innovative Community Heat Hub to The Gateway in Bexhill, alongside electric, fibre, water, and wastewater. Once fully built the scheme will provide 801 high-quality mixed-tenure new homes, a primary school, community centre and sports pavilion connected to the low carbon solution. GTC commissioned The Gateway Community Heat Hub in late February and first homeowners moved in on February 24th. This is the UK’s second Community Heat Hub to be commissioned since its launch, with more contracted across the country being delivered in the coming months. The Community Heat Hub at The Gateway is estimated to save around 850 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually in comparison to individual gas boilers in homes. John Marsh, Chief Operating Officer at GTC said: “Home decarbonisation is top of the agenda right now and The Gateway at Bexhill is a brilliant example of how low carbon heat can be delivered into new homes. The forthcoming end of gas means decarbonisation is no longer optional. Working with housebuilders, like Vistry, who want to showcase compliance and sustainability excellence is always a pleasure, and to be able to offer a solution that meets forthcoming Standards is credit to the skills and expertise of the GTC team.” Brendan Evans, Managing Director at Vistry Kent said: “Vistry is committed to delivering sustainable long-term communities that provide the mix of high-quality new homes that residents need. Collaborating with like-minded organisations like GTC is essential to help us deliver innovative solutions that meet important decarbonisation standards while helping to fulfil the UK’s chronic need for new housing.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
VIVID has been offered £14.35 million from the government’s Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH: SHF) to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. This provisional allocation of funding supports the aim for all homes to be warm and affordable. This means making sure each home is energy-efficient, which helps to reduce energy use and costs and carbon emissions. The £14.35 million WH: SHF grant, combined with VIVID’s own £33.6 million investment to improving energy efficiency over the next three years, is a significant boost. The primary goal of this funding is to enhance the energy efficiency of approximately 1,800 homes over the next three years. The initial focus will be on North Hampshire, specifically targeting the areas of Rushmoor, Hart, and Basingstoke and Deane. In this ‘decisive decade’ for climate action, efforts have already been intensified over the last 2 years with an ambitious retrofit project in Farnborough, part funded by the second wave of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund grants. This project is a crucial step towards achieving 2030 energy efficiency targets. (pictured) Tom Robinson, Executive Director of Assets and Sustainability at VIVID said “I’m so pleased we’ve been awarded this grant. This funding will enable us to enhance and expand our energy efficiency programme, making our customers’ homes more comfortable and easier to heat. It’s a significant step towards achieving our 2030 energy efficiency targets.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, has appointed JJ Rhatigan as the principal contractor to build 296 new homes at the Twyford Abbey development in Ealing. The project will include 50% affordable housing and the restoration of a Grade II-listed walled garden for community use. JJ Rhatigan will commence full-scale construction following the completion of initial groundworks. The development will also feature the restoration of the historic Twyford Abbey building into 30 new homes, in partnership with Picture Property Developments, preserving its architectural heritage. RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) designed the low-rise development, which prioritizes sustainability and heritage. The project will incorporate renewable energy through rooftop photovoltaic panels and Air Source Heat Pumps for heating and hot water, reducing CO2 emissions. The Abbey’s 1.2-acre South Lawn will also be reopened for public use. Richard Cook, Chief Development Officer at Clarion Housing Group, said: “We are pleased to appoint JJ Rhatigan as the principal contractor for this landmark development. We have successfully worked with them on previous projects, and their strong focus on safety and community investment aligns with our vision for the Twyford Abbey site. This contract represents another key milestone in our commitment to delivering high-quality, sustainable homes while preserving the historical significance of the site.” Tom Neylon, UK Managing Director at JJ Rhatigan, added: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the principal contractor for the Twyford Abbey development. This project offers a unique opportunity to blend contemporary housing solutions with the careful restoration of an important heritage site. We look forward to working with Latimer to deliver a high-quality, sustainable community.” Construction is set to begin in March, with the first homes expected to be completed by 2027. The development aims to provide much-needed housing and revitalize the area. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Global real estate firm Avison Young UK has been appointed by the University of Kent as a strategic advisor to bring its Northern Land Holdings in Canterbury to market. Spanning 97 hectares (240 acres) the site has the potential to deliver around 2,000 new homes, commercial uses and supporting social infrastructure. The appointment builds on a five-year partnership between Avison Young and the University of Kent. Avison Young is progressing the land through the Local Plan process and is now seeking developers or housebuilders to provide private and affordable housing and commercial development, alongside community uses including schools and open space. Expanding Canterbury’s footprint, development will create a sustainable extension of the historic city. Releasing underutilised land north of the University campus, development would support Canterbury City Council’s District Local Plan for urgently required housing. Canterbury City Council has identified an annual Local Housing Need for 1,120 new properties. Unlocking opportunities for development and new homes in Kent, the site offers potential to boost inward investment in the region, fostering growth for future generations living and working in Canterbury. Repurposing the Northern Land Holdings would also boost reinvestment into the University of Kent’s core educational offer. Backed by the Canterbury City Council, the University is recognised as an integral job creator in the area with educational investment feeding through into wider areas of the local economy. Barney Hillsdon, Principal, Managing Director, Land and Development, Avison Young UK, said: Northern Land Holdings offers exceptional potential for developers and Kent alike. Repurposing it will ensure Canterbury’s long-term financial sustainability by attracting investment and fostering a new community. Its vast space presents a unique opportunity to deliver diverse housing, commercial properties, and social infrastructure, supporting national and local growth goals. Trevor Pereira, Commercial and Facilities Director, University of Kent, said: “By freeing up underused land to north of our campus, the University of Kent can support Canterbury City Council’s District Local Plan by providing space for additional and urgently required housing. Any future development would be done sustainably and responsibly, with full consideration given to striking the balance between net biodiversity gain and infrastructural improvements.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
