A housebuilder delivering new homes in Telford has teamed up with a recycling solutions provider in a bid to become more sustainable and positively impact the environment. Miller Homes, currently building new housing at its Earls Grange development in the Priorslee area of the town, has joined forces with recycling
Bellway has become the first national housebuilder to partner with Google to bring energy-saving technology as standard to every home it builds*. Bellway homeowners will be able to save up to 16 per cent on their energy bills by using the Google Nest thermostat, while reducing their carbon footprint. The
Leading South West housebuilder Cavanna Homes has marked 100 years in business with a special party for staff and shareholders at its Torquay headquarters. Founded in 1923 by Philip ‘PD’ Cavanna and his brother Ray, the company has been at the forefront of house-building projects across the Westcountry for the
The latest research by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed how house prices surrounding schools across the capital with an Ofsted rating of Good or Outstanding are going against the grain of a lethargic London property market, with a far higher rate of growth when compared
The latest market analysis from property purchasing specialist, House Buyer Bureau, reveals that despite a supposedly cooling market, UK house prices would have to drop by a huge -19.3% just to return to pre-pandemic norms, let alone crash, which is more than the -12.9% decline seen during the global financial
The organisers of this year’s Green Home Festival are urging homeowners and the construction industry to “be brave” and embrace innovations like microwave heating to help build a more sustainable future and meet net zero targets. Scotland’s second renewables jamboree will kick off in less than two weeks, delivering 11
London Councils has responded to new research from the charity Crisis revealing that nearly a quarter of a million households across England are experiencing the worst forms of homelessness, including rough sleeping, sofa surfing, and being stuck in unsuitable B&B temporary accommodation. The findings also show 85% of councils across
A loan scheme which enables homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties is needed if the UK is to reduce energy consumption, cut carbon emissions and bring down consumer bills, says the leading professional body for the construction sector. The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), in its response
The latest research by Woods Hardwick, the independent architecture, engineering, planning and surveying consultants, has shown that England’s green belt covers 12.5% of the nation’s total land area and could facilitate the construction of over 73.7m new-build plots – with just 1.4% of green belt land required to deliver the
The latest research from digital property pack provider, Moverly, has found that the vast majority of UK property professionals believe the provision of upfront information is positive for the property industry, with the biggest reasons being an improved level of transparency for homebuyers, a streamlined conveyancing process and the reduced
A housebuilder delivering new homes in Telford has teamed up with a recycling solutions provider in a bid to become more sustainable and positively impact the environment. Miller Homes, currently building new housing at its Earls Grange development in the Priorslee area of the town, has joined forces with recycling solutions provider Go Green, to provide a sustainable solution to its on-site wood waste. The trial period of the scheme began at the Telford development last year, and to date has seen more than 32 tonnes of waste wood repurposed through Community Wood Recycling, a leading social and environmental enterprise that has been recycling wood since 1998. Go Green introduced Miller Homes to Community Wood Recycling who have been using the housebuilder’s excess wood to create new products including benches, planters and bird boxes. Jo Stott, head of environmental sustainability for Miller Homes, said: “We’ve been working closely with our waste management partners over the past 12 months to drive waste reduction and increase recycling across our business, with our employees and trusted business suppliers across the group. “By working with partners like Go Green, we can find positive solutions for unavoidable waste from our sites, although our goal is always to reduce waste in the first instance. “We are very pleased with the outcome of the waste wood initiative at Earls Grange, which has contributed to achieving our 2025 waste recycling target of 75 per cent across all our sites ahead of schedule.” Haley Coggan, business development manager of Go Green, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with customers such as Miller Homes, who are dedicated to implementing the waste hierarchy in their waste management procedures and are actively advancing sustainability efforts.” Miller Homes’ trial scheme at Earls Grange in Telford is part of the national housebuilder’s wider plans to become more sustainable and achieve tangible targets towards its company goals to create a better place, where people and the planet prosper. For more information on the services provided by Go Green, visit https://gogreen.co.uk/services/. To find out more about the homes being built at Earls Grange in Priorslee, visit https://www.millerhomes.co.uk/new-homes/west-midlands/earls-grange-priorslee.aspx. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bellway has become the first national housebuilder to partner with Google to bring energy-saving technology as standard to every home it builds*. Bellway homeowners will be able to save up to 16 per cent on their energy bills by using the Google Nest thermostat, while reducing their carbon footprint. The smart thermostat learns how and when households use their heating and hot water. It adapts to deliver maximum efficiency, turning down the temperature when the home is empty. It is compatible with other smart home technology including Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The partnership will be supported by key partner, Travis Perkins, whose branches across the UK, will supply the thermostats to each of Bellway’s developments. Tony Atkin, Group Production Managing Director for Bellway, said: “We are excited to announce this innovative partnership, which will deliver energy savings for our customers and help to reduce the carbon impact of every home we build. “As part of our Better with Bellway sustainability strategy, we have set ambitious carbon-reduction targets covering every aspect of our business. “As well as reducing the carbon emissions from the production of our homes, we are also introducing technologies which will help our customers. We are therefore committed to building homes that our customers can live in efficiently, while also working to reduce carbon emissions from our on-site operations and supply chain.” Neil Henderson, Sales Director at Travis Perkins, said: “We’re committed to helping our customers create better homes for the future and to leading on the net zero agenda , so we are delighted to have facilitated this partnership between Google and Bellway Homes, which will see Google Nest thermostats being installed in all of Bellway’s future new builds. “As a result, all future Bellway residents will benefit from smarter homes and be empowered to make more informed choices about controlling and regulating their home heating and thereby also cut down on energy usage. “This is also a real advancement in modern technology in that these thermostats are compatible with so many other smart devices that enhance safety, including security cameras and doorbells, and that there is no need to download multiple apps.” Bellway builds in excess of 11,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales each year. The company has invested in a series of Future Homes pilot schemes to trial new carbon-reducing innovations. This includes The Future Home at Energy House 2.0, a research project in conjunction with The University of Salford. Google Nest technology has already been trialled at selected Bellway developments ahead of the national rollout. For more information on the Better with Bellway strategy, see https://sustainability.bellwayplc.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading South West housebuilder Cavanna Homes has marked 100 years in business with a special party for staff and shareholders at its Torquay headquarters. Founded in 1923 by Philip ‘PD’ Cavanna and his brother Ray, the company has been at the forefront of house-building projects across the Westcountry for the past century, retaining a commitment to quality set by its founders. The expansion of the business has seen Cavanna Homes, now one of the South West’s largest independent housebuilders, appoint non-family members in senior roles. However, Jeremy Cavanna, the grandson of co-founder PD Cavanna, remains as a non-executive director, after handing over the chairmanship of the business this year to Keith Miller, formerly group managing director and then deputy chairman. Grayham Tucker was appointed to the role of group managing director in January 2023 to oversee the day-to-day operation of the company. Keith Miller told guests at the celebration event: “There have been huge changes in the housebuilding industry over the past century and Cavanna Homes has moved with the times. But the business has always stuck to the principles of its family founders – delivering excellent homes safely and to the highest standard for our customers.” The company has come a long way from its foundation, embracing the latest sustainable technology in many of the homes it builds, designing property to meet the needs of 21st century living and providing help and support for hard-pressed homebuyers. Cavanna Homes has never lost sight of its strong Torbay presence and continues to concentrate on building beautiful and sustainable new homes in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. When the company was founded, Britain was still emerging from the economic difficulties caused by the aftermath of the First World War. In 1923 the Cavanna brothers set out from their home in Watford to seek work as plasterers in Torquay. They had been advised by their parents, who had been in service on the English Riviera, to head West. The thinking was that because Torquay homes were often finished with render there would be plenty of work for qualified plasterers and the brothers soon branched out into house building. In 1924 sufficient progress had been made for P.D and Ray’s families to join them in the homes they had built in Laura Grove, Paignton. Not long after, the partnership dissolved and P.D moved into general contracting and house building while Ray continued the plastering business. As the need for new housing increased, especially following the Second World War, Cavanna Homes began to grow into Torbay’s foremost building company and in 1949 the company was incorporated. The business grew through the 1960s and 1970s, selling in excess of 100 homes a year for the first time. PD Cavanna was involved in the business with his sons and son-in-law at the helm, right up until his death in 1983 at the age of 93. In the past year Cavanna Homes has been shortlisted for an award in the Michelmores Property Awards for its development at Wolborough Hill, Newton Abbot and is also in the running for a national Housebuilder Award for its scheme Broadleigh Park in Tavistock. The finals will be held in November. A team of cyclists from Cavanna Homes raised more than £12,000 in July for its Charity of the Year, Children’s Hospice South West, completing the gruelling St Austell to Bristol “Ride for Precious Lives” sponsored cycle ride. And, in recognition of the challenges facing first-time buyers as mortgage rates rise, Cavanna Homes has been offering a helping hand to buyers with a contribution to their deposit, cutting borrowing and reducing monthly mortgage payments on selected homes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest research by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed how house prices surrounding schools across the capital with an Ofsted rating of Good or Outstanding are going against the grain of a lethargic London property market, with a far higher rate of growth when compared to their wider boroughs. Benham and Reeves analysed house prices across London postcodes home to schools with Good or Outstanding Ofsted ratings, how they have performed over the last year and how this performance compares to the wider borough in which they are located. The London market has held fairly firm over the last year despite the wider economic landscape, although house prices have cooled by a marginal -0.6% over the last year. However, the research by Benham and Reeves shows that, on average, house prices in postcodes home to schools with an Outstanding Ofsted rating have increased by 1.9% annually. In contrast, the average annual rate of house price growth seen across the wider boroughs in which these schools are located sits at just 0.2%, meaning that postcodes with schools rated as Outstanding have seen house prices increase by a far higher margin over the last year alone. At the same time, postcodes home to a school with an Ofsted rating of Good have seen house prices climb by 2.3% over the last year, while the rate of growth across their respective wider boroughs has averaged an increase of just 0.6%. But it’s not just house price performance where top Ofsted rated schools are helping to stimulate the market. House prices within postcodes home to schools with an Outstanding command a 1.9% premium versus the average across their wider boroughs. While this may not particularly seem significant, this house price premium has grown considerably since last year when it sat at just 0.1%. Last year, house prices in postcodes home to a school rated by Ofsted as Good actually came in 1% below the average across their wider boroughs. However, today they now command a marginal premium of 0.7%, a swing of almost 2% in a single year. Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented: “Such is the demand for schooling within London that homes within any catchment area can be sought after, even if those schools don’t hold a gold star from Ofsted. However, most parents will understandably be keen to secure a spot within a school with a favourable rating, even more so following this week’s news that so many schools have been closed due to structural issues. This can drive an unusually high level of competition within confined pockets of the London market. As a result, house price growth within these postcodes is going against the grain of the wider London market which has remained largely static over the last year and these homes are also commanding a premium when compared to the average price across their wider boroughs.” You can access the full data tables and sources for this release online here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest market analysis from property purchasing specialist, House Buyer Bureau, reveals that despite a supposedly cooling market, UK house prices would have to drop by a huge -19.3% just to return to pre-pandemic norms, let alone crash, which is more than the -12.9% decline seen during the global financial crisis of 2008/09. House Buyer Bureau has analysed the current average UK house price and compared it to that at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to see how much current values would have to fall before ‘returning to normal’ prior to the pandemic market price boom. The analysis then goes on to compare this to market performance during the global financial crisis of 2008. There is talk of a cooling housing market and that prices are on the decline. But the data shows that, even after months of economic and market turmoil, today’s average house price of £287,546 would have to fall by a colossal -19.3% to return to its pre-pandemic level o£ 231,940 in January 2020 So, while some may express concern that the market is struggling, it’s clear to see that any slight price dips are negligible following the immense growth seen over the pandemic and no doubt aided by the subsequent Stamp Duty holiday. This required price drop of -19.3% is so large that it even dwarfs the massive price drops recorded during the recession brought on by the 2008/09 global financial crisis. When that recession began in April 2008 (Q2 2008), the average UK house price was £183,148. By the end of the technical recession (Q2 2009), just 14 months later, prices had fallen by -12.9% to an average of £159,561. So, for current prices to return to pre-pandemic norms, the decline would have to be significantly more severe than that caused by the global financial crisis which was, it is widely agreed, a more severe period of economic turmoil than that we are currently enduring. Managing Director of House Buyer Bureau, Chris Hodgkinson, commented: “Many so-called property experts have been quick to prophesize the demise of the UK property market with fear mongering mutterings of a market crash. This simply hasn’t been the case and house prices would need to fall by nearly 20% just to return to their pre-pandemic norm, let alone for the market to crash. The housing market is standing strong and this is great news, however, our previous research found that the average buyer now needs almost nine times their annual income to cover the average cost of a home. When you combine this huge affordability barrier with a cautious buyer mindset following a string of interest rate hikes, the challenge today is the ability to find a genuine buyer in a proceedable position, not the price they are willing to pay when you do. With property values showing little sign of reducing, this issue is one that is likely to persist and so sellers need to approach with pragmatism and avoid overvaluing, while buyers must be prepared to negotiate tenaciously to ensure they don’t overstretch financially.” Data tables Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The organisers of this year’s Green Home Festival are urging homeowners and the construction industry to “be brave” and embrace innovations like microwave heating to help build a more sustainable future and meet net zero targets. Scotland’s second renewables jamboree will kick off in less than two weeks, delivering 11 free shows on low-carbon living as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe. And organisers the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) say its event on the potential of microwave heating is an example of a technology that could offer a real alternative to traditional fossil fuels – but only if we’re brave enough to embrace it. Co-organiser Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Our upcoming show on microwave heating is the perfect demonstration of the bravery and innovative thinking that is needed by both the construction industry and homeowners if we are to build a sustainable future for Scotland. “We know that we’ll need a combination of methods to meet both the retrofit challenge and the new-build heat standard and this new technology is one of the solutions that we should be having the courage to explore now.” The microwave heating show will be delivered on the first day of the festival by Professor Sean Smith, Director of The Centre for Future Infrastructure and Professor of Future Construction within the School of Engineering and at the University of Edinburgh. Starting at 2pm on Monday 14 August, the event will focus on the origin of the new technology, how it works and how it could offer an alternative to traditional heating methods in our homes. Mr Nelson went on: “It’s great for us to have this innovative solution explained this year as part of the Green Home Festival, and this technology could provide the rapid acceleration of low carbon heating for Scotland’s 1.2 million flats, given the short installation time and the fact that it links to existing radiators. “We just need to be brave, adjust our mindsets and think outside the box when it comes to potential greener solutions like this.” He went on: “As well as microwaves, the Green Home Festival will also look at other innovations in home heating, such as hybrid systems, which combine new technology with traditional methods to reduce both costs and carbon footprint for the homeowner. “And on a larger scale, we’ll be looking at the benefits of community heating networks and exploring how distributing heat to multiple buildings from a central source could do away with the need for individual boilers or electric heaters in every building. “All this activity is designed to start a conversation about renewable living and to encourage homeowners to start thinking differently about how they will power, heat and run their homes in the years to come. “It will also help demonstrate how the CICV has its finger on the pulse of future solutions to meet the climate challenge and is determined to help steer the wider construction industry down a more sustainable path.” Live Green Home Festival sessions will once again take place at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) at 10 Charlotte Square in central Edinburgh, with contributions from the likes of Home Energy Scotland, Scottish Water, SNIPEF and SELECT. Other topics covered at the Green Home Festival will include creating sustainable kitchens, green garden rooms and offices, making retrofit projects eco-friendly, converting churches and how the home of the future will be powered. Built Environment – Smarter Transformation will also host a webinar that will advise what consumers can do to reduce both their energy consumption and energy bills. The festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Made up of 28 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
London Councils has responded to new research from the charity Crisis revealing that nearly a quarter of a million households across England are experiencing the worst forms of homelessness, including rough sleeping, sofa surfing, and being stuck in unsuitable B&B temporary accommodation. The findings also show 85% of councils across England are facing an increase in people experiencing homelessness – the highest number in any year since the annual research began. London is the epicentre of the national homelessness emergency, accounting for well over half of all homeless households living in temporary accommodation in England (emergency housing provided by local authorities for homeless households). London Councils’ own recent research revealed that one in 50 Londoners is now homeless and living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough, including one in 23 children. Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing & Planning, said: “The homelessness situation is fast-becoming disastrous and requires urgent action from the government at a national level. “In London we face increasingly unmanageable pressures. It is utterly unsustainable to have one in 50 Londoners living in temporary accommodation. There is at least one homeless child in every London classroom – an appalling statistic showing the massive social impact of the worsening housing crisis. “Ministers must work with councils and other partners across the housing and homelessness sectors to reverse these trends. There are at least 143,000 potential new homes we could begin building immediately in London if the government addressed the barriers to delivery, including by providing additional infrastructure and affordable housing grant funding. “We cannot afford delay – this is an emergency situation needing an emergency response.” London Councils estimates that almost 170,000 Londoners are now homeless and in temporary accommodation. London Councils’ research shows the number of households entitled to homelessness support from a London borough (i.e. owed a homelessness prevention or relief duty) increased 15.2% between April 2022 and April 2023. There has also been a dramatic 781% increase in homeless families placed in bed and breakfast accommodation beyond the legal six-week limit. This equates to 1,287 London families stuck in unsuitable B&B accommodation in April 2023 compared to 146 the same month last year. Rising homelessness numbers are putting immense strain on boroughs’ finances. London Councils estimate that boroughs are collectively spending at least £60 million each month on temporary accommodation costs. London Councils is urging the government to: Raise Local Housing Allowance (LHA). LHA, which eligible households receive as part of their housing benefit or Universal Credit if they have a private landlord, has been frozen since 2020 despite private rents increasing since then. Boroughs believe LHA should be increased to cover at least 30% of local market rents – a policy the government adopted successfully at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Support councils to buy accommodation sold by private landlords. 40% of all homes listed for sale in London in 2022 were previously let by a private landlord. The government should build on initiatives such as the Local Authority Housing Fund by providing increased capital investment for housing acquisitions, particularly to acquire homes being sold by private landlords as they exit the market. Boost Homelessness Prevention Grant funding. Local authorities play a vital role in supporting struggling households to avoid homelessness. Councils require an immediate emergency funding increase to ensure local services have the resources needed in the face of rising levels of demand for support. Increase Discretionary Housing Payments. These payments are used by councils to help residents in financial crisis meet their housing costs. They are an essential homelessness prevention tool, but government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments in 2023-24 has been frozen at 2022-23 levels, despite significantly increasing homelessness pressures.Bring forward a cross-departmental strategy to reduce homelessness. Tackling homelessness must become a major priority at a national level with government departments working together – in addition to key partners such as local authorities – as effectively as possible. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A loan scheme which enables homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties is needed if the UK is to reduce energy consumption, cut carbon emissions and bring down consumer bills, says the leading professional body for the construction sector. The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), in its response to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee’s recent ‘Heating our Homes’ inquiry has reiterated previous calls for Government to support the Construction Leadership Council’s National Retrofit Strategy. It includes a “help to fix” scheme which provides homeowners with an interest-free government loan to cover the full costs of home improvements. CIOB says previous government schemes such as the Green Homes Grant and Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) have failed for several reasons, most notably that homeowners were required to part fund energy efficiency work in a lump sum. For many this simply wasn’t an option at the time the schemes were on offer, and certainly isn’t amid a cost-of-living crisis says CIOB’s policy team. In February 2023, the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee noted if the current take-up rate of the BUS continues, only half of the allocated budget will be used. CIOB adds that a scheme where the full cost of home improvements such as double glazing, insulation, new heating systems and even bigger jobs like loft conversions or extensions, are covered by a loan, is the only way many homeowners could afford to have work carried out, and government should develop such a scheme if they seriously want to meet its energy and carbon reduction targets. David Parry, CIOB’s parliamentary and public affairs officer, said: “We and the wider industry have been calling for a national strategy for retrofitting for years now but we’re not being listened to. Poorly planned, ad-hoc schemes such as the Green Homes Grant have been failures because homeowners are still expected to find a percentage of the cost of having work carried out on their home and people just don’t have that disposable income. “A long-term initiative where homeowners can borrow the full cost of improvement works would in our view incentivise a big upturn in demand which in turn will help improve the energy efficiency and quality of the nation’s housing stock, reduce energy use and associated costs for consumers, while also cutting carbon emissions and accelerating the move to net zero. Factored into a wider strategy, developed with industry experts, which considers the training of a skilled workforce, a “Help to Fix” scheme could go a long way to achieving the goals the Government has set itself but is currently nowhere near meeting.” CIOB adds that funding isn’t the only reason previous schemes have failed, and issues with promoting them, consumer confidence and ensuring skilled tradespeople were available to meet the demand for their services, also contributed to their downfall. The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee also noted that public awareness of low-carbon heating systems is limited, and the promotion of the BUS was inadequate. This was echoed in CIOB consumer data, which indicated that, of 2,000 UK adults polled in February 2023, 53 per cent had not heard of the BUS, Home Upgrade Grant, ECO Plus/ECO+ Scheme or the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. Eurostat data and research from the Building Research Establishment indicates that energy consumption in buildings accounts for 45 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions*. Notably the UK has one of the oldest housing stocks in Europe, with the smallest proportion of homes built after 1970 and the second highest proportion built before 1919.** Parry added: “Our response to the “Heating our Homes” inquiry has given us the opportunity to once again reiterate our belief, and that of the wider built environment sector, that a national strategy is required if progress is to be made on retrofitting UK homes. Any such strategy must be created with multiple future governments in mind and have a broad consensus across the political spectrum if its to deliver results at the pace and scale required so we hope our calls will no longer continue to fall on deaf ears.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest research by Woods Hardwick, the independent architecture, engineering, planning and surveying consultants, has shown that England’s green belt covers 12.5% of the nation’s total land area and could facilitate the construction of over 73.7m new-build plots – with just 1.4% of green belt land required to deliver the government’s target of 1m homes by the next election. Woods Hardwick analysed the size of the green belt across each area of England, what this equates to as a percentage of the total land area and how many homes it could facilitate if fully utilised to address the housing crisis. The green belt is a spatial planning tool first introduced in the 1950s as a national policy with aims to to prevent urban sprawl and keep land permanently open back when the UK population was 51m. A common green belt misconception is that it is there to protect the countryside for its beauty or for ecological reasons such as areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). The research by Woods Hardwick shows that England’s green belt is estimated to cover 1.637m hectares (16.371bn sq m), equating to 12.5% of England’s total land area of 13.046m hectares (130.462bn sq m). Just 8.7% of England’s land area is of developed use, with just 10.5% being defined as ‘built-up’ – demonstrating how sizable the green belt is. England’s green belt could facilitate the construction of 73.743m new homes with the average new-build plot requiring being 222 sq m – according to ONS in 2021 there were around 24.8m homes in England & Wales. This means it would require building on just 1.4% of the green belt for the government to meet their target of one million new homes by the next election. Regionally, London is home to the smallest green belt at just 34,772 hectares, meaning it could also facilitate the smallest number of new homes at 1.566m. However, London’s green belt equates to 22.1% of the region’s total land area, the largest of all regions of England, demonstrating why building on the green belt is an important consideration in areas where space is already a hot commodity. Green belt land also covers over 20% of the West Midlands region and could facilitate the construction of 11.925m new homes, the second highest total of potential new homes of all regions. It’s the South East where green belt building could make the biggest impact on the housing crisis. The green belt stretches across 16% of the region and could deliver 13.751 new homes if fully developed. In each case only a modest release of green belt land would make a substantial contribution towards meeting housing needs. At local authority level, green belt land accounts for an enormous 93.9% of the total land area of Tandridge, enough to deliver over a million new homes. It also accounts for more than 90% of the total land areas of Epping Forest and Sevenoaks and over 80% of the total land area of West Lancashire, Bromsgrove, Brentwood, Guildford, York, Windsor and Maidenhead and St Albans. Building on the green belt could make the biggest impact in Northumberland, where it could facilitate 3.166m new homes despite accounting for just 14% of the area total land area. You can find green belt housebuilding data for your individual local authority here. Planning Director at Woods Hardwick, Russell Gray, commented: “Sensibly planning the release of green belt land will directly address the housing crisis and local property shortages. That doesn’t mean concreting over the entire countryside as many incorrectly assume and there are swathes of green belt that have been incorrectly classified and contribute little to the intended purposes of green belt in national policy. Green belt development has been continually rejected by politicians for landscape or habitat reasons when that should not be the case. Our research highlights just how much land is classified as green belt across England and how difficult this makes the delivery of much needed housing, particularly in areas where space is already finite. England’s entire green belt could deliver almost seventy four million new homes – three times as many homes we already have – and it would take reclassifying just 1.4% of green belt land for the government to meet its target of one million homes by the next general election. Instead, they’ve set their sights on brownfield redevelopment, a task that is far more complicated, costly and, quite frankly, doomed to fail due to there simply not being enough of such land. It also typically fails to provide the level of affordable housing we desperately need as a country. As a result, we expect that come the next general election, we will be hearing yet more excuses why we haven’t met or built the government’s one million new homes target to address the crippling housing crisis felt across the nation.” You can view the full data tables online here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest research from digital property pack provider, Moverly, has found that the vast majority of UK property professionals believe the provision of upfront information is positive for the property industry, with the biggest reasons being an improved level of transparency for homebuyers, a streamlined conveyancing process and the reduced chance of a fall through. The survey of UK property professionals, commissioned by Moverly, asked if the upfront provision of pertinent information related to a transaction was a positive when it came to the process of buying and selling property – with a huge 90% of those surveyed stating it was. Such information can be provided via Home Information Packs, which collect the essential details and documentation that homebuyers need access to when considering the purchase of property – such information includes EPC certificates, title documents, and Local Authority searches among many other things. HIPs are not a new idea. In fact, they were introduced to parliament by the last Labour government but then the David Cameron-led coalition government abandoned the idea in 2010. When asked why they thought the original introduction of HIPs failed, those surveyed by Moverly stated the reliability of the information provided was the biggest reason, while the upfront cost incurred by sellers also acted as a deterrent. However, last year, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, committed to reintroducing the previously abandoned Home Information Pack as part of the government’s Levelling Up ambitions. But what’s changed? Well today, technology allows us to securely store our personal information while also providing us with the ability to easily share it with stakeholders across various processes, whether it be online shopping, electronic banking and much more. The landscape hasn’t just evolved, it’s a completely new world when compared to the old analogue processes of previous years and this makes it far easier for the consumer. This transformation has already benefited the property sector in many areas and Moverly found that 87% of property professionals think that HIPs could be better placed to succeed in today’s market, due to the further digital disruption of the industry and our ability to share data electronically. When asked what they believe the biggest advantage would be if HIPs were to return, a greater level of transparency for buyers ranked top, followed by a reduced conveyancing timeline, as well as a lower chance of transactions falling through – however, just 37% think their reintroduction should be mandatory. 56% think the cost of HIPs should be incurred by the seller, although some believe it should be the responsibility of the buyer (22%), the agent (14%) and the conveyancer (7%). The majority (59%) also believe that there should be multiple HIPs providers to help drive the standard of service through competition, although they should be regulated by one single authority. Moverly co-founder Ed Molyneux, commented: “We believe that HIPS are absolutely essential if the housing market is to solve the perpetual issues of inefficiency and snail-paced processes. Of course you’d expect us to say that, but it turns out the vast majority of property professionals also recognise the benefits the provision of upfront information can bring. While HIPs may have originally been designed to help buyers, everyone within the transaction timeline benefits from greater transparency, greater stability and a more certain outcome. They can also greatly reduce the risk of sales falling through due to broken chains, saving both buyer and seller money in the process, as well as reducing the chances of gazumping, issues that have been rife in the UK market in recent years. Those who oppose HIPs do so based on the fact that a cost traditionally incurred by the buyer is transferred to the seller. While this may be the case, the cost of HIPs is dramatically lower today and sellers are also far better placed to absorb a marginal additional cost that could save them thousands of pounds in costs incurred should their sale collapse. What’s more, the advancement of technology and how we share information today, means that the ability to provide reliable information has been hugely improved.” Data tables Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
