More than 6,000 new homes will be built on brownfield sites, through money given to councils to transform unused land into beautiful and thriving neighbourhoods.   Across the country, from Hull to Somerset, nearly 100 regeneration projects will receive £60 million from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.  The investment is part of the second phase of the £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund, with cash going directly to councils so they can release the land and get building as soon as possible.  Derelict car parks, industrial sites and town centre buildings that have fallen into disrepair will all benefit from the new funding, with the government supporting communities to bring land back into use.  The government has been clear it has a brownfield-first approach to building the homes this country needs through its long-term plan for housing and today’s announcement will help deliver that.   Minister for Housing and Planning, Rachel Maclean MP said: We know we need to build more homes, but this cannot come at the expense of concreting over our precious countryside.  That is why we are doing all we can to make sure we’re making use of wasteland and unused brownfield land, so we can turn these eyesores into beautiful and thriving communities.  This is all part of our long-term plan for housing – making sure we deliver the homes we need across the country. Cabinet Office Minister, Alex Burghart MP said: This funding will unleash the much-needed redevelopment of brownfield sites: stimulating growth and helping local areas reach their full potential.   It’s fantastic news for business, and even better news for local people who will now see new investment, job opportunities, and family homes in their communities.  Projects that will benefit from the scheme include:  Councillor Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Association, said:  We are delighted to continue our work with DLUHC, supporting councils to access the Brownfield Land Release Fund.   Councils have continued to embrace opportunities to bring brownfield sites in their ownership forward for housing, and this fund plays a key role in helping councils to provide the types of homes their communities really need. This builds on the success of the first round of Brownfield Land Release Fund 2, where funding is enabling the release of land for almost 2,400 homes.   To date, the fund is supporting at least 89 local authorities, over 160 projects, and providing almost £100 million to support councils to release land for almost 8,600 homes. At the same time, the £1 billion Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund will unlock up to 65,000 new homes across England.  The next round of funding through Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 will be announced later this year.   The fund is part of the government’s long-term plan for housing, setting out how it will deliver its manifesto commitment of 1 million homes over this Parliament. This is backed by £10 billion in housing supply interventions announced over this Parliament. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

Northern England the worst offender In a time when people are struggling to buy and rent homes, 676,000 of England’s stock worth £212 billion is sitting empty. The research comes from property purchasing specialist, House Buyer Bureau, which measures the number of vacant dwellings up and down England. Across the country 2.7% of the nation’s stock isn’t utilised, a travesty at a time where supply is so lacking. North of England The North East is the worst region for vacant properties, where 3.3% of homes are empty, followed by the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber, where 3.0% isn’t used. Looking in more detail, Liverpool has the highest proportion of rental stock that’s lying vacant, with 10,769 vacant dwellings out of 229,863, amounting to 4.7% of all stock. The third and fourth worst areas are also in the North East, as 4.4% of properties are left empty in both Burnley and Blackpool. Is it time to bring back the Empty Home Programme?  England used to have an Empty Homes Programme, which provided funds to social landlords and housing groups to bring empty homes back into use.  This was established by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government and ran between 2012 and 2015, as the Tories failed to continue with the scheme after winning an overall majority in parliament that year. Individual councils can penalise owners for leaving their properties empty, as the City of London gradually charges owners more council tax the longer they leave them empty. London Greater London makes use of the highest proportion of its stock, as just 2.4% of total dwellings are thought to be sat vacant.  This puts the capital ahead of areas like the East of England, the South East and the South West, all of which leave 2.5% of their stock unused. There’s a different trend in Prime areas however, as in the City of London district a sizable 4.5% of homes are left empty, despite the efforts of the council. This amounts to 351 properties out of 7,775. The most valuable empty stock The region with the most valuable set of vacant dwellings is the Prime Kensington and Chelsea, where 3,196 dwellings are unused worth £4.3 billion. After that comes another area in the capital, as Camden’s 4,498 empty dwellings are worth £3.73 billion. Due to the sheer quantity of empty homes, the third and fourth highest regions are outside of London. In Birmingham there are 13,251 vacant dwellings worth £3.04 billion, while in Leeds 11,861 empty homes have an overall value of £2.85 billion. Managing Director of House Buyer Bureau, Chris Hodgkinson, commented:  “The UK has long struggled to supply enough properties for renters and aspiring buyers, and one factor that doesn’t help is that hundreds of thousands of homes are left picking up dust. “The problem seems to be especially bad in the North, with Liverpool being one of the worst offenders, while some valuable areas of London are also not being properly utilised. “To improve the issue of vacant properties the government could sink money into another empty homes scheme, or do more to tax those owners who fail to rent out or use their homes.  It’s also fair to assume that with the continued high cost of living and borrowing, coupled with a cooling property market where prices are concerned, we could well see more properties become vacant as the nation’s landlords continue to exit the sector in order to balance their books.” Data tables Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

I wanted to share a new case study on behalf of RWC, who have recently supported the renovation of a high rise development in Chelsea. High-rise living forms a critical part of the solution to the growing demand for homes across the UK. To ensure the success of these buildings, specifiers and consultants must select systems that align with modern construction methods and meet the demands of residents today and in the future. Water management is a particular consideration here, ensuring every dwelling has a reliable, consistent and safe supply of water, as well as contributing to broader sustainability efforts by supporting responsible usage and greater water savings. The Chelsea Creek development, which utilises solutions from RWC’s Reliance Valves range, demonstrates how water management systems can successfully control and monitor water supply to large numbers of apartments, while also mitigating against leaks to protect occupants and buildings from costly water damage. Smart water technology for West London Canalside living Water is at the heart of the canalside Chelsea Creek development in London, but to ensure a safe and reliable supply of water to 147 individual apartments, an innovative water management system was required. To efficiently control and monitor water supply, as well as mitigate against leaks, solutions from Reliance Valves were selected. Located in the heart of Chelsea, Chelsea Creek is the exciting transformation of a 7.8 acre brownfield site into a new development based around waterside living. Featuring stunning landscapes of tree-lined avenues and meandering waterways, the neighbourhood perfectly combines tranquillity and metropolitan living and brings a sophisticated European aesthetic to West London. Comprising of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, the development would require intricate plumbing pipework – not just due to the nature of high-rise buildings, but also to achieve the high specification ambitions of the project. To strike this balance, building services contractor, Briggs & Forrester Living, needed an innovative water management system to control and monitor water supply, mitigate the risk of leaks and the costly effects of water damage. Specifying for success The Tenant Valve Plus and MultiSafe Leak Detector Control Valve by Reliance Valves were specified by Briggs & Forrester to help fulfil their client’s risk management plans and leak mitigation aims. Saving time and space by combining several functions into one compact unit, the Tenant Valve [EM1] [AJ2] includes a BS1010-approved stop valve, a pressure reducing valve and strainer, double check valve, dual-reading pressure gauge, and a connection point for an optional water meter. The combination valve effectively controls and monitors water supply to individual dwellings, while its single-piece design significantly reduces the number of leak points compared to a traditional chain of individual valves. It was also more cost-effective and easier to install and maintain, all of which were crucial to Briggs & Forrester’s building design. Reliance Valves’ MultiSafe Leak Detector Control Valve was also selected to provide an intelligent leak detection system that continuously measures the flow rate, pressure, temperature, and the hardness of water. In addition to automatically shutting off water in the event of a leak or an abnormal water pattern, the system sends an alert to the concierge as well as the occupants, via a free app. Mark Durham, Project Manager at Briggs & Forrester Living, said: “Reliance Valves’ MultiSafe leak detection system was selected following trials with several manufacturers on performance, connectivity, control versatility and end-user functions for leak protection and water usage. Our client’s risk management plan and their aim for innovative leak mitigation was of paramount importance for protecting the project during the fit-out phases and was a prerequisite to be “online” prior to the testing and filling stages. “The system’s wireless connectivity, web-based platform and mobile app is ideal for real-time app alerts and email notifications, which performs superbly, fully satisfying the requirement of directive for effective leak mitigation. The leak detection valve coupled with the multifunctional space-saving Tenant Valves assembly, were the ideal paring in our aim to reduce risk of possible leaks.” As the demand for housing continues to soar across the UK, high-rise developments are becoming increasingly common additions to city skylines. While the trend to build upwards maximises limited inner-city space and delivers appealing living spaces for residents, it does pose challenges to specifiers and contractors, including around water supply, control and sustainability. By specifying systems from Reliance Valves, Briggs & Forrester were able to install high-quality and cost-effective systems on the Chelsea Creek development. In practice, this means water supply can be controlled and monitored, maximising efficiency and strengthening sustainability efforts, as well as meeting their client’s requirements for risk management through an innovative leak detection solution. To find out more, visit www.reliancevalves.com/gb/en Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals