Urban Group (York) Ltd has won a £15 million contract from the City of York Council to provide home repair & upgrades, including energy retrofitting improvements, across its social housing portfolio. Following a competitive tender process, Urban’s Maintenance & Energy team was appointed to cover around 3,500 of the Council’s
Full-fibre infrastructure specialist Complete Fibre and leading UK housing group Orbit are collaborating to rollout safe, hyper-reliable, hyper-fast broadband in blocks of flats across the South East. Complete Fibre will manage access to the buildings as well as installing a single, open-access ‘plug-and-play’ digital infrastructure within Orbit’s blocks of flats (also
The latest data release from Searchland, the development site sourcing specialists, has revealed that brownfield sites across England could house almost 1.5m homes, with Greater London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester home to the largest proportion of brownfield land in the current market. Searchland maintains a comprehensive record of
The latest analysis by specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, estimates that total mortgage repayments are set to fall in 2023. However, a jump in the level of regular and lump sum payments made is also expected, as increasing interest rates and the highest cost of borrowing push homeowners to
After living in a 75-year-old house in Bedworth, with all the associated renovation work and unexpected costs, Viral and Beena Modha (both 45) made a checklist of all the must-haves in their next home. They wanted to move into a new home that would allow them to enjoy their life
More homes are embracing green energy and installing heat pumps and solar panels in the UK than ever before, with a 62% jump compared to last year, new data from the official standards body for renewable technologies, MCS, has revealed. MCS data shows that in the first six months of
Call for urgent action as more than one million families currently on social housing waiting lists EDAROTH (a wholly owned subsidiary of Atkins) has laid bare the extent of the current UK housing crisis in its latest white paper – New Approach, Better Homes, Brighter Future. The report demonstrates clearly
The latest analysis by specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, shows that mortgage approval levels are forecast to decline by 11% annually come the end of 2023, although short-term positivity is expected with an uplift in activity during the second half of the year. Octane Capital analysed historic mortgage approval
Affordable housebuilder, Orbit Homes, has appointed Ray Winney as its new Regional Managing Director for the East. Ray takes up the position after four years as Construction Director with Orbit Homes and succeeds Andy Doylend following his retirement. Ray brings with him over 20 years of experience in the construction
The Real Estate Data Foundation is a not-for-profit initiative bringing together the whole sector around the topic of data and to raise data ethics up the agenda and we are delighted that The Property Ombudsman is supporting this collaborative alliance. But what is ‘data ethics’, why should you care and
Urban Group (York) Ltd has won a £15 million contract from the City of York Council to provide home repair & upgrades, including energy retrofitting improvements, across its social housing portfolio. Following a competitive tender process, Urban’s Maintenance & Energy team was appointed to cover around 3,500 of the Council’s social housing properties across the city. The five-year contract covers home improvements and repairs, extensive damp works as well as an energy retrofitting programme to make the homes greener and more energy efficient for the residents. Dunnington-based, Urban Group Commercial Director Andrew Green commented: “We are delighted to be working with City of York Council on this important programme of works that will upgrade thousands of homes, making them warmer and more energy efficient, which is obviously very good news for the tenants. “We were able to demonstrate a proven track record in the social housing sector across the North and, with our headquarters also based in York, our team has an excellent understanding and knowledge of the city which means we can hit the ground running.” He added: “We’ll be looking to recruit on the back of this contract win to grow the team, as well as take on some keen apprentices who can learn and progress with Urban over the coming years. This is a great opportunity for anyone who has enthusiasm and wants to learn on the job, whilst gaining industry-recognised qualifications.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Full-fibre infrastructure specialist Complete Fibre and leading UK housing group Orbit are collaborating to rollout safe, hyper-reliable, hyper-fast broadband in blocks of flats across the South East. Complete Fibre will manage access to the buildings as well as installing a single, open-access ‘plug-and-play’ digital infrastructure within Orbit’s blocks of flats (also known as Multi Dwelling Units, or MDUs) which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can connect into, to provide full-fibre to residents. Lightning Fibre is the first ISP to plug into Complete Fibre’s infrastructure in Orbit buildings to provide residents safe, ultra-fast fibre broadband and boost digital inclusivity in the region. Multiple ISPs can connect into Complete Fibre’s plug-and-play solution, offering Orbit’s residents more choice when selecting full-fibre packages. Eddie Minshull, CEO of Complete Fibre, explained: “We’re the bridge between landlords and telecommunications providers. By installing one plug-and-play solution, ISPs can deliver their services via existing infrastructure rather than each company needing to install its own network. “We’re delighted that Lightning Fibre are working with us to offer Full Fibre for residents in the South East. Together, we can meet stringent safety standards, reduce disruption of multiple installations for residents and reduce the carbon footprint for fibre infrastructure builds by up to 75%*. “Amid a race to lay fibre infrastructure to hit the government’s target of at least 85% gigabit coverage by 2025, this innovative approach, developed with support from Trenches Law, eliminates the need for statutory intervention in the market. It empowers landlords to manage digital connectivity with a strategic and planned approach and meets the needs of residents, developers, and ISPs. Orbit is one of the largest housing groups in the UK, has a growing portfolio of over 46,500 homes spanning the Midlands, East and South. Tony Clark, Director of Property Operations at Orbit, said: “In addition to providing quality, safe, and affordable homes, we’re committed to offering wider support to help our customers in their day-to-day lives. Working with Complete Fibre to offer our customers access to reliable, ultra-fast digital connectivity is just one of the ways in which we can help to support them in their work and education, as well as provide them with easier access to community and online services.” Tim Passingham, Chairman of Lightning Fibre, added: “We’re committed to driving digital inclusion and bringing hyper fast broadband to communities in the South East. Utilising Complete Fibre, we’re able to give Orbit and their residents access to a choice of providers, and for our part, we’ll do so with a fair pricing model and a keen focus on customer care. This way of working also contributes to Lightning’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions – fewer installations mean less material and more efficient energy usage.” *Compared to four telecoms companies installing fibre infrastructure in one building. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest data release from Searchland, the development site sourcing specialists, has revealed that brownfield sites across England could house almost 1.5m homes, with Greater London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester home to the largest proportion of brownfield land in the current market. Searchland maintains a comprehensive record of available land sites across England which shows that currently, there are an estimated 26,670 brownfield plots located across the nation. According to the CPRE, the average brownfield site can hold an estimated 53.6 housing units, meaning that the nation’s current brownfield land is enough to facilitate the construction of 1.43m new homes. Brownfield building isn’t without its complications and can often require a substantial budget to remediate a site before work can even begin, if for example, the land is contaminated. But rather than build on the green belt, the Government recently announced it would be bowing to pressure from NIMBYs and turning its focus to the redevelopment of commercial brownfield sites into residential homes. When it comes to the greatest degree of all available brownfield land, London ranks top. The capital’s 4,392 brownfield sites account for 16.5% of the national total which, if completely redeveloped, could deliver over 235,000 new housing units to the London market. The West Midlands sits in second with 2,522 brownfield sites accounting for 9.5% of the national total with the potential to deliver more than 135,000 new homes. With 1,971 sites in Greater Manchester, brownfield building could also bring over 100,000 new homes to market (105,646). Other counties boasting some of the largest levels of brownfield include South Yorkshire (4%), West Yorkshire (3.8%), Surrey (3.6%), Essex (3.4%), Dorset (2.9%) and Hampshire (2.8%). The City of London (0.01%), Rutland (0.02%) and the Isle of Wight (0.3%) are home to the smallest proportion of brownfield sites in England. Co-founder and CEO of Searchland, Mitchell Fasanya, commented: “Despite the Government’s best efforts to encourage brownfield building in recent years, it remains a complicated and expensive process and one that is unlikely to address the housing crisis in a meaningful manner. However, rather than tackle the controversial subject of green belt development head on, the Government has decided to take the easy way out and pursue a half baked plan on converting previously developed land that is no longer being used, such as abandoned or underutilised industrial areas and obsolete commercial units. Unfortunately, as our figures show, brownfield development could benefit many major cities, but its availability is also far too lopsided towards certain counties to help address the issue of housing supply on a national scale.” Data tables Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest analysis by specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, estimates that total mortgage repayments are set to fall in 2023. However, a jump in the level of regular and lump sum payments made is also expected, as increasing interest rates and the highest cost of borrowing push homeowners to utilise spare cash and overpay on their instalments in order bring down their mortgage. Octane Capital analysed historic mortgage repayment data from the BSA looking at the breakdown of mortgage repayments made and how the market is expected to perform come the end of the year. The research shows that the total sum repaid on a monthly basis across the mortgage space hit £254.4bn last year, a 7% increase versus the previous year and yet further positive movement on the 19% increase during the pandemic boom period of 2020 and 2021. However, so far this year (Jan to Jun – latest available), total mortgage repayments have fallen at an average rate of -1.2% per month, currently sitting at £18.9bn in June versus £21.4bn at the start of the year. Based on current market performance, Octane Capital estimates that come the end of the year, the total sum of mortgage repayments made in 2023 could sit some 12.1% below that of 2022, totalling £223.7bn. This decline is expected to be driven by an estimated 21.3% annual drop in repayments on redemption, or those who are making a final payment on their mortgage. However, Octane Capital also estimates that there will be a jump in both ‘other lump sum’ payments, as well as ‘regular’ repayments. The analysis shows that regular remortgage repayments are expected to climb 5.4% come the end of the year to hit £60.7bn in 2023. At the same time, other lump payments, extra payments made to reduce both a mortgage balance and the interest owed, are forecast to increase by a notable 13.6% – totalling £26.4bn. These spikes are expected as a result of higher interest rates which have pushed up the cost of borrowing in recent years, causing borrowers to dig deeper and use their disposable income to increase their mortgage repayments in order to bring down their mortgage. CEO of Octane Capital, Jonathan Samuels, commented: “Although overall mortgage repayments may be forecast to fall this year, this top line reduction certainly masks the changing face of the sector following fourteen consecutive interest rate hikes. While repayments on redemption are expected to fall, regular repayments are expected to climb, highlighting the higher monthly cost facing many homeowners when it comes to repaying their mortgage. We also expect that there will be a far more noticeable spike in lump sum repayments, as those who have the ability to, look to reduce their outstanding mortgage as swiftly as possible while rates remain high.” Data tables Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
After living in a 75-year-old house in Bedworth, with all the associated renovation work and unexpected costs, Viral and Beena Modha (both 45) made a checklist of all the must-haves in their next home. They wanted to move into a new home that would allow them to enjoy their life more and make the most of every day, and that meant one thing – choosing a newbuild. That led them to Davidsons Homes’ Grange View development in Lower Bardon, not far from Beena’s job as a dental assistant in Leicester. Viral, a senior category manager for an automotive parts company, said: “Between Beena and I, we had an extensive checklist for our perfect home. We knew it had to be a three-bedroom detached house with a driveway and a garage, and we particularly wanted a corner plot to give us plenty of space.” Beena added: “There were smaller, yet important, details too – like a built-in microwave at eye-level in the kitchen, a utility room, good lighting and good windows, and spacious rooms too. We looked around lots of new homes developments in the Nuneaton and Leicester areas, but although some ticked some of the boxes, none of them ticked all. “That was until we visited the three-bedroom Ford at Davidsons Homes’ Lower Bardon development. There wasn’t a single box it didn’t tick. In fact, we loved it so much that we reserved it there and then.” As they already owned a property, Viral and Beena used Davidsons’ Part Exchange scheme to sell their existing property and buy their new Ford. Viral said: “The Part Exchange process couldn’t have been easier – in fact, as our home was ready to move into, from seeing it to moving in took just five weeks. It was very smooth and we really didn’t have a single issue. Every step of the way we were communicated with, and even Davidsons’ recommended solicitors were brilliant to work with.” Asked what they particularly like about their new home, Beena said: “As we’re on a corner plot, we have green space right around our house. In fact, my favourite part of the house is the kitchen as it opens right up onto the side garden, so we both love sitting in that room and enjoying the views outside. “We’re also not too far from a lovely area of green open space on the development itself, so we really enjoy walking there, and a little further afield too.” Viral added: “We’re quite near the outskirts of Grange View which is nice as we’re just a short way from pretty countryside walks. It’s perfect too as we are off a cul-de-sac which means that it’s very quiet but we have got to know our neighbours really well already. We really like everyone, and it definitely feels like a community has formed already. “The customer service at Davidsons Homes has been very good, we’d recommend them to anyone. Our Sales Manager Amber has also been great, she’s guided us through the process really well and kept us updated every step of the way. “Having lived in a newbuild before, we’re looking forward to lower energy bills this winter, along with no maintenance and repair costs! From our initial reason for moving – to enjoy our lives more and spend less time worrying about our house and more time doing things that we love – we definitely feel that we’re doing that here at Grange View.” For more information, visit davidsonshomes.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
More homes are embracing green energy and installing heat pumps and solar panels in the UK than ever before, with a 62% jump compared to last year, new data from the official standards body for renewable technologies, MCS, has revealed. MCS data shows that in the first six months of 2023, more than 120,000 certified solar panels, heat pumps and other renewable technologies were installed in UK homes, the highest number ever by this point in the year. The previous record for renewable installations was more than a decade ago in 2012, when households raced to get solar panels before cuts to the Feed-In Tariff incentive scheme kicked in. June saw 27,791 certified installations recorded on homes and businesses across the UK, bringing the total for the first half of the year to 122,155. 2023 saw more installations in the month of June and in the first half of the year than any previous year. 2023 is the first year to average more than 20,000 solar panel installations per month, and the first to see more than 3,000 heat pumps installed per month. Analysts say that with this sustained growth, nearly a quarter of a million households could install renewable energy by the end of this year. Over 80% of the installations so far in 2023 have been electricity-generating technologies, driven mainly by the continued growth in solar PV installations. By the end of June, there were 102,797 certified installations of solar PV alone as more households turn to home-grown energy during the cost-of-living crisis. The first half of 2023 saw 82% more installations than the first half of 2022. Small-scale renewable energy installations on homes and businesses across the UK now have a total installed capacity of 4GW. The energy demand for the entire country averaged 29.4GW a day in the last year, meaning that the solar panels and wind turbines on peoples’ homes, at peak conditions, could power over 13% of the UK at current. The growth in solar has been mirrored by battery storage installation growth since MCS introduced the battery storage installation standard at the end of 2021. Each month of 2023 has been a record month for battery technologies, with installation figures surpassing the month before, totalling over 1,000 batteries going into homes and businesses across the UK in 2023 so far. There has been similar success in the growth of low-carbon heating, with average heat pump installations being over 3,000 per month for the first time in 2023. There were 17,920 heat pump installations in the first six months of 2023, a figure only rivalled by a rush to install heat pumps before the end of the Renewable Heat Incentive subsidy scheme in March 2022. Heat pump installations in England and Wales have been eligible for £5,000 – £6,000 Government grants since May last year under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. These grants are starting to take effect as heat pump sales are steadily growing. In Scotland, consumers can claim a grant of £7,500-£9,000 towards a heat pump installation plus an additional optional loan of £7,500. The UK Government has set clear targets to reach 70GW of solar capacity by 2035 and to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. The growth in renewable technology across the UK in the last few years is promising, but there is still much further to go. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Call for urgent action as more than one million families currently on social housing waiting lists EDAROTH (a wholly owned subsidiary of Atkins) has laid bare the extent of the current UK housing crisis in its latest white paper – New Approach, Better Homes, Brighter Future. The report demonstrates clearly how unlocking dormant brownfield land to develop for affordable homes, could have a dramatic impact on social housing waiting lists across the country. Analysis of data from the Brownfield Register and the latest available social housing waiting lists, illustrates how capacity for building new homes outstrips the waiting list demand in many parts of England. And, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has re-stated his commitment to building more than one million homes before the next general election, EDAROTH has called for action to unlock brownfield land and promote more effective use of modern methods of construction, as a realistic solution to meeting that demand. Not only would unlocking brownfield sites help create the necessary capacity for social housing, but it would also drastically reduce the cost of keeping people in temporary accommodation. Currently around 95,000 households are in temporary accommodation which is costing the Government up to £1.6bn. In addition, according to data released in April by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) for 2022, affordable rent costs were double the equivalent social rents in some parts of England. Mark Powell, managing director at EDAROTH (an acronym of Everybody Deserves A Roof Over Their Head) says: “The number of people identified as living in temporary accommodation had risen by an alarming 74% in the last ten years***. Of that total, more than two-thirds had been living in temporary accommodation for more than a year. “By transitioning households from temporary accommodation into social rented homes, we estimate local authorities across England could save in excess of £1bn. This saving could then be used to offset the delivery of up to 14,000 new social and truly affordable homes each year. “To beat the social housing emergency, I believe we must drive market reform and speed up planning with a presumption in favour of net zero compliant homes. “If we do this, we will be able to accelerate the delivery of energy-efficient, truly affordable homes. However if we continue to rely on traditional methods and approaches, I believe the housing crisis will deepen, with low-income households and the most vulnerable in our society feeling the harshest effects.” The affordable homes developer which uses modern methods of construction (MMC) to create sustainable, thriving places, says that low-income and vulnerable households will remain trapped in unaffordable, insecure and, in some cases, unsafe homes without a new approach in place. EDAROTH entered the housing market three-years-ago, to help local authorities and the Government address the shortage of social housing. However, according to the new report very little has changed in that time. The Government’s most recent affordable housing statistics show there were 7,500 new social homes delivered in 2021-22. But with more than one million households currently on social housing waiting lists across England, this build rate falls woefully short of widely-accepted estimates that at least 90,000 new social homes need to be built every year. How brownfield can meet demand Unlocking under-utilised brownfield sites, often overlooked by large-scale housebuilders could help local authorities find suitable locations for new social housing. The data shows that councils across England from Bournemouth to Birmingham, and Norwich to Newcastle, would be able to dramatically reduce housing waiting lists if brownfield sites were developed. EDAROTH has analysed the potential capacity for homes on brownfield land from the Brownfield Register, and calculated the percentage of social housing waiting lists it could absorb. The results are revelatory as our table below illustrates. For example in Manchester, the waiting list from 2022 was 14,912, while the estimated number of homes that could be built on brownfield sites stands at 75,585 In Birmingham, the waiting list figure is 21,867, yet there is capacity to build 54,304 homes. And in Bournemouth it’s a similar story with a waiting list of 1,180 which could disappear within the potential 18,036 homes that could be built on brownfield sites. The overall national percentage impact that brownfield land could have on housing waiting lists is now 109.9%. Local authority (England only) Hectares of brownfield available Social housing waiting list 2022 Total minimum net dwellings on brownfield Impact on waiting lists Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole 202.1 1,180 18,036 1528.5% Birmingham 629.6 21,867 54,304 248.3% Manchester 483.3 14,912 75,585 506.1% Newcastle-upon-Tyne 185.1 6,149 10,958 173.9% Leeds 801.6 26,241 29,527 112.1% Nottingham 194.6 8,207 11,698 142.5% Norwich 158.6 3,906 9,184 235.1% Lewisham 110.8 10,183 12,572 123.4% Basingstoke & Dean 114 4,061 5,497 135.4% The white paper report outlines how modern methods of construction can make a significant contribution to solving the housing crisis by providing low energy, affordable and sustainable homes quickly, driving economic regeneration to support the levelling up agenda and meet Net Zero goals. This is supported by analysis published on behalf of the Local Government Association (LGA), National Federation of ALMOS and Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) in September 2021– estimating that building 100,000 new social homes each year could contribute £15bn to the UK’s economy. Call to action: In order to shore up demand and support the MMC sector, the EDAROTH white paper is calling for increased incentives for local authorities, public sector bodies, and housing associations, to vastly increase the supply of social housing at scale, utilising MMC. EDAROTH believes there is a strong argument for the urgent prioritisation of Government and local authority-owned brownfield land to deliver new homes which demonstrate clear societal and economic value. It will also be imperative to go further than the current approach of one-for-one replacements of homes sold if social housing demand is to be met, waiting lists reduced and households to be lifted out of temporary accommodation – according to the report. Mark Powell adds: “To beat the social housing emergency, I believe we must harness new
The latest analysis by specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, shows that mortgage approval levels are forecast to decline by 11% annually come the end of 2023, although short-term positivity is expected with an uplift in activity during the second half of the year. Octane Capital analysed historic mortgage approval data from the Bank of England, looking at how the market is currently performing, as well as where it may stand come the end of the year. The latest figures show that 54,662 mortgages approved in June of this year, not only marking a 7% increase on the previous month but the second consecutive month approvals have climbed. Current mortgage approvals levels also sit some 37% above the market low of 39,825 seen in January of this year. But even with recent positive growth considered, the number of mortgage approvals seen during the first six months of this year totalled just 291,578, 29% less than the 410,244 approvals seen during the first half of 2022. The good news is that this uplift in mortgage approval market activity is set to strengthen, with Octane Capital forecasting that monthly figures could hit 69,034 by December of this year. This would signal a return to the previous highs of last year before September’s mini budget rocked the boat and could see the total number of mortgage approvals seen during the second half of 2023 hit 377,927 – a 30% increase versus the first six months of the year. However, despite this late rally during the second half of the year, total annual mortgage approvals are estimated to sit at 669,550 come the end of the year. This would mark a 11% year on year decline, following 2022 which also saw total mortgage approval levels fall by 20% versus the previous year. CEO of Octane Capital, Jonathan Samuels, commented: “The upward trajectory of interest rates and the resulting reduction in buyer activity are expected to see total mortgage approval levels dip for a second consecutive year in 2023. That said, it would seem that the worst is behind us and we are now starting to move away from the market lows seen earlier this year, with positive growth expected to materialise over the remaining six months. While this short-term positivity won’t be enough to bring about an annual increase in total mortgage approvals, it does set a very firm foundation for further positive growth in 2024.” Data tablesData tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Affordable housebuilder, Orbit Homes, has appointed Ray Winney as its new Regional Managing Director for the East. Ray takes up the position after four years as Construction Director with Orbit Homes and succeeds Andy Doylend following his retirement. Ray brings with him over 20 years of experience in the construction and housebuilding sector and will play a key role in continuing to drive Orbit Homes’ land acquisition, construction, HS&E, sales and marketing, and customer care in the region. Commenting on his appointment, Ray said: “I first joined Orbit Homes as I believed in its strong social purpose and commitment to delivering affordable, high-quality, sustainable new homes. I am looking forward to working with the team to continue to deliver on these values together, grow the business and have a positive impact across the region for our customers, communities, and colleagues.” Helen Moore, Group Director at Orbit Homes, added: “I am delighted to confirm Ray’s appointment as our new Regional Managing Director for the East. Ray has been instrumental in taking the business forward in his role as Construction Director and is a real asset to the team. “I would also like to thank Andy for his service over the last four years. Orbit Homes in the East has gone from strength-to-strength under his leadership, becoming the strong business and team we have today. I wish him all the best in his retirement.” Orbit Homes has recently unveiled a brand-new range of sector-leading house designs, all of which have been matched against the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident’s (RoSPA) Safer by Design framework and include the introduction of new safety standards and Orbit Homes’ inclusive design specification. Orbit Homes currently has nine thriving new communities underway in East Anglia, comprising a range of affordable two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, including some rarely available brand-new bungalows. The homes are available to purchase either as market sale or shared ownership and the rented homes are for Orbit Group’s housing portfolio. To find out more about the properties on offer at your nearest Orbit Homes development, please visit: www.orbithomes.org.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Real Estate Data Foundation is a not-for-profit initiative bringing together the whole sector around the topic of data and to raise data ethics up the agenda and we are delighted that The Property Ombudsman is supporting this collaborative alliance. But what is ‘data ethics’, why should you care and what should you do about it? What is data ethics Ethics is important in all corners of real estate, but as the volume of data that we collect and use grows, it is important to make sure that we apply ethical thinking to this. Having the technology to collect data and being allowed to under law is not enough – we need to consider whether we should be collecting and using the data. Ethics is all about asking ‘should we?’ If buildings of the future are about the user’s happiness, health or productivity we can collect huge amounts of data on all of this – but should we? Where does the risk outweigh the benefit? Before COVID, the idea of having your temperature taken to assess your health to be allowed to enter a building seemed inconceivable, yet for a while it became the norm. At what point should we stop collecting and using this data? A more extreme example may be the decision about placing cameras inside buildings. This can allow all sorts of data to be collected and used to improve the experience for the resident, but there is a high risk that residents will resist it – and complain about it, as happened recently when North Ayrshire Council used Facial Recognition Technology in its school canteens. But what if the cameras are used to assist the elderly to continue living on their own by providing an automatic alert system for any falls or health problems? As long as data was suitably anonymised and secure and residents were fully aware of what was being collected and why, then this may feel like a more acceptable use case. Whatever your views on the examples above, we can see that the ethical use of data is not black and white which is why the real estate sector needs to be on the front foot. Why it matters Data ethics in real estate matters for 3 reasons: What to do about it The ethical use of data is complex and subjective, but the good news is that it is easy to take significant steps towards making sure that you are using data in an ethical way. The RED Foundation has developed 6 data ethical principles that we ask both people and companies to sign up to. Sign up to these today and build them into any decisions you make relating to data and you are well on the road to addressing it. For those who wish to take a step further, we have published a Data Ethics Playbook which builds on these principles and provides practical guidance on how to build data ethics into your thinking. Written on behalf of the RED Foundation by: Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
